


I Know your secret

by Serene_Sanity



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Blackmail, Celes is bad, Crime Fighting, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Humiliation, Humor, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Light Masochism, Light Sadism, Minor Violence, Not Actually Unrequited Love, POV Alternating, Poor Kyoko, Rivalry, Teasing, maid outfits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-05-28 06:29:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 43,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19388416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serene_Sanity/pseuds/Serene_Sanity
Summary: Kyoko Kirigiri has been hired to investigate an illegal gambling ring, but she runs into some unusual events along the way. Which are proven to be more than just a simple obstacle for her.





	1. Scratching the surface.

Celestia Ludenberg was her name..or at least that was the name she'd given herself and god help anyone who dare speak of her real name. Regardless, that name struck fear into the hearts of many. She was known to be a very ruthless and cunning woman who would step on anybody just to get to the top and achieve her dreams. It had even been rumored that she had people killed when she felt like they were hinder to her existence. Of course these were just rumors in which she'd never confirm or deny for herself. Celestia wasn't just the typical lying and conniving woman...She was the Queen of Liars which heavily contributed to her success as a gambler. 

Celestia spent most of her time cleaning out the pockets of commoners who thought they could best her. The poor fools hadn't even stood a chance. People would even go as far as betting away their most prized possessions in an attempt to dethrone the Queen...And of course, they failed miserably. In fact...she couldn't even remember the last time she'd lost a bet. That's how good she was. There were even people who suggested that her success rate was the result of cheating, but Celestia didn't take offense to this.....she thought it was funny how much of a sore loser some people could be. 

This day was just any other day, except Celestia wasn't participating in the tournament. She just acted as a spectator this time around as two high profile gamblers engaged in an intense match of poker. Celestia of course, was not as invested in the match as everyone else was since she'd already beaten both these players before. 

She sat there bored, slowly swirling the red wine in her cup. And at this point, she had completely given up on following the poker game going on in front her and didn't even know who was winning. Suddenly her eyes shot towards front of the casino when she noticed someone interesting walking in. The person of interest appeared to be a young woman close to her age. She wore a violet colored dress with matching studded gloves and her lavender colored hair was pinned up into a bun.

Celestia's mouth curved into a smirk, not because of the woman's beauty, but because she certain she knew who she was. She hungrily licked her lips at the sight of the mystery woman. _"Well now. It is not very often my prey finds itself walking right into my clutches."_ She thought to herself. She already knew who this woman was and what she here for. Some of the commoners had given her a heads up about an investigation that involved an illegal gambling ring and Kyoko Kirigiri was the detective hired to look into the case. She recognized the lavender haired woman from the pics shown to her. "What a silly girl. Who does she think she is fooling with that disguise?" Celeste mumbled to herself.

The truth is Celestia had not been involved in an illegal gambling ring since she was a teenager, but now that she was of age and was allowed to legally gamble, she didn't have to stoop that low to earn her winnings. Of course, she could just be honest and tell the detective that she wasn't involved in any illegal gambling, but what fun would that be? She was never the type to take the easy route. At that moment, She realized how bored she grew of her typical everyday gambling and decided she needed something new to play with. The problem is...she knew Kyoko was a smart woman. She was one of the best detectives in town...and maybe even the best in the country. Playing games with someone like this could prove risky for her, but that's what drew her in. After all, she was a high-roller and risk taking was just a part of who she was. 

The detective made her way over to the bar as Celestia carefully trailed her with her crimson red eyes. It was fairly obvious that she was purposely avoiding eye contact with the gambler. This only amused her further as an idea found its way inside of her head. She called over a waiter and had him make a drink for the lavender haired woman. 

Afterwards, she smoothly made her way over to the empty seat next to the detective. The woman didn't even look at or acknowledge the presence of the gambler and just sat that nonchalantly sipping her drink. _"Such arrogance."_ Celestia thought to herself, but despite her annoyance, she politely spoke to the other woman. "Hello there beautiful. I trust that you are enjoying your drink?" She spoke smiling softly at the detective. 

"How many women have you approached with that line?" The detective finally spoke, but kept her eyes on her glass.

"Only a few." Celestia answered honestly. "More importantly...what brings a lovely lady like yourself to a place like this?"

She already knew who she was and why she was here, but she didn't want to give up her current position. Besides...things would be much more interesting if the detective was under the impression that she had no idea who she was. 

"I assume you were the one that bought me the drink? But anyways...Why does it matter to you?" The detective asked coldly. 

Her coldness didn't bother Celestia as she already expected it would be hard to get through to her. She knew Kyoko would need a little push in order for her to open up and that meant she would have to do most of the chasing, but she didn't mind. After all, the chase was usually the best part for her. 

"It doesn't. I was just interested in getting to know you." Celestia spoke. She knew the detective wouldn't waste an opportunity to get close to her since she was suppose to be investigating her. The detective finished her drink and sat her glass down on the counter. 

"Kyoko Kirigiri, but I already know who you are." She said flatly. 

_"Of course you do."_ "Beautiful name for a beautiful lady. How befitting." Celes said clasping her fingers together as she stared at the detective. 

"You are being quite the flirt. I can't tell if you're hitting on me because you're interested or if you've just had too much to drink."

"I don't know...maybe it's both." Celes said as she smiled sweetly at Kyoko. She was definitely interested in the detective, but not for the reasons Kyoko thought she was. She was now bored with her every day life and she thought Kyoko would be the perfect toy for her enjoyment during these trying times. The more she talked to this woman the more she wanted break her in. Cleanse her of her arrogance. Destroy her even. 

"I see.." Kyoko said dryly.Celes had to suppress a snarl and instead just smiled sweetly at Kyoko, but it was mostly to herself since she knew she would have fun cleansing the detective of her arrogance. "How about another drink?" Celes asked. And before Kyoko could say anything, Celes had already flagged down the bartender for another drink.

"You're not trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me are you?" Kyoko asked staring at Celes with a look of uncertainty in her eyes.

"I am offended that you even think I would stoop so low. I may be a liar, but I would never rely on such ....revolting methods to meet my needs."

"My apologies if I offended you, but a young beautiful woman has to look out for herself as I'm sure you know this more than anyone."

"You are quite the flatterer yourself Kirigiri-san." Celeste chuckled.

"You know Kirigiri-San. I would hate for us to have to end things here." Celes said leaning into her with her lips an inch away from her own. She could feel the detective's breath become uneasy as their lips grew closer to one another. "I think that you and I could do a lot of great things together." She said in a low voice. After a few seconds Celes pressed her lips against the detective's. The kiss wasn't forceful or passionate, rather something equivalent to how a mother may kiss the forehead of an infant child, but way more intense.

Celes pulled away from Kyoko after only few seconds. When she opened her eyes she saw the detective staring back at her with a neutral look on her face. She looked unfazed as if what Celes had just did was perfectly normal. In fact neither of them seemed to be bothered by the possibility of potential onlookers in the casino. Most people who frequented the casino feared Celes, so any onlookers would have averted their gaze by now out of fear of angering her. _"_

_This is going to be quite the challenge."_ She thought to herself.

"Pardonne moi...I just couldn't resist your alluring beauty. I do hope that you are not put off by my actions?"

"Not at all. Especially coming from you." She said smirking at the gambler. 

"How very clever of you." Celeste smiled handing her a business card with her contact info on it. "Please...Call me anytime you need some excitement in your life." She gracefully rose from her seat and left Kyoko there by herself without even turning to see her reaction.

_"I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one."_


	2. Stranger Danger

Kyoko sat there in confusion as she watched the gambler leave without so much as a goodbye. She was only left with a business card containing the gambler's contact information which was weird to her because from what she knew about Celes, she didn't own a business nor was she a part of any organization. Kyoko had wondered if she secretly some kind of escort or prostitute and had just did a really good job at hiding it.....after all she did tell Kyoko to contact her if she wanted some "fun." Of course there was a possibility that Celes was just apart of some type of secret organization and she had overlooked the fact. 

She looked down observing the small card as she looked over the details. The card contained a name, phone number, email, and an address? Kyoko thought this was strange. Why would someone put their home address on a business card? She decided she would look more into it once she began her investigation into the case.

Celes was a person of interest in this case, so in order for her to investigate thoroughly, she would need to actually contact the gambler. Which also meant spending some amount of time with her as well. However, for some reason this made her uneasy. She had heard rumors about how dangerous she was, but Kyoko has dealt with her fair share of dangerous criminals so this wasn't what made her feel this way. It was something else making her feel this way....but what?

Was she really planning on contacting her strictly for the investigation or was there some other reason...? Kyoko shook her head trying to clear her mind of any outside distractions regarding the investigation. "Maybe I've been drinking a little too much. I need to head home." She mumbled to herself and got up to leave. Before leaving, she checked her surroundings to make sure she wasn't being followed or watched. Once she figured the coast was clear, she got in her car and drove home.

Once inside, the first thing she did was quickly snatch off her dress. "Finally." She let out a sigh and began changing into more comfortable clothing. That dress was not something Kyoko usually liked to wear on a regular basis, but she needed to blend into the environment so that no one would know what she was up to. Once changed, she sat down at her computer and began looking over notes and files.

Before Kyoko got into officially investigating Celes, she would need to do some more research so she could get a better idea of who and what she's dealing with. Her first instinct was to google Celes' full name to see what comes up, but much to her disappointment, all of the searches came up empty. She even looked at multiple social media platforms, but still came up empty handed. Kyoko figured that Celes was just a private person and didn't care much for social media. Which was understandable, since she herself had the same attitude. This was going to be difficult without any help from the internet. 

The next move was to look up the phone number printed on the business card. When she entered the number into the google search engine she found that it was registered to the name 'Taeko Yasuhiro.' She took note of this and decided to to look up the name, but strangely enough she didn't get results from this either. Who was this Taeko person? And why was there no information on them? Maybe it was just a close friend of hers or maybe it was just someone who worked for her. Either way Kyoko found it suspicious that this person's information was also absent from the internet. She wrote the name down in her notebook and decided she would revisit this thought later. Best not to waste too much time on one piece of information when there were still other things to look at. 

When she looked up the address, she found that it was not a home address, but the address of cafe outside of the city which confused her even more. So many questions ran through her mind. Why did her business card contain an address to this place? Does she own the place? Does she work there? Is it really safe? Maybe this is where the illegal gambling ring was hosted. It would be easy for her to just go there and check for herself, but that's the problem....it would be _too_ easy. This could have just been a trick to lure her there. With Celes being the kind of person she is, it wouldn't surprise her if she had set her up in that manner. 

There was only one last thing to do.....and that was to contact Celes. She was reluctant to do so because of the uneasy feeling surrounding the gambler and this situation, but the only way she would find the answer to those questions would be to talk to her. Celes had done a great job at covering her tracks which means it was close to impossible to gather information without actually talking to her. Did she make it this way on purpose? To make things more dangerous for her? No...now wasn't the time to get cold feet. She needed to stay focused. As long as she just played it cool and acted natural, everything would be fine. 

The address fiasco was far too shady for her and she wasn't sure how often Celes checked her email. She sighed to herself and began typing out a text to Celes because she thought this would be the best way to contact her, despite her number being registered to someone else. She decided that she would pretend to be interested in whatever Celes was offering.

**Kyoko** : You know...I'm upset you left before I could say anything...but anyways. You said you wanted to show me a good time. So I was just wondering if you wanted to meet up later on?

Kyoko sent out the text trying her best to make it look like she was genuinely interested. She shuddered at how desperate it sounded since she wasn't exactly sure what she was asking for. Pretending to be interested in a potential suspect to gather more information wasn't a new concept to her since she was young attractive woman. And as much as she hated using her looks for this purpose, it had helped out tremendously in the past. It only felt gross to her because Celes was also a young attractive woman and she felt like some desperate creep inquiring about a woman's "services." If anyone were to see this, they'd definitively be looking at her in a different kind of light. 

**Celeste:** Oh my Kirigiri-San, you seem so...eager. Of course I can make arrangements for us to meet up. Do you still have my business card with the address on it? 

**Kyoko:** Yeah. 

**Celeste** : Good. Meet me there tomorrow evening at 6PM and Don't be late please.

Kyoko felt even weirder after that, but she couldn't understand why. Maybe she'd been working herself too hard and needed to relax....after all, it was getting pretty late. She put away her work for the night and went to go shower. 

When she got out the shower she noticed she had a text message. She thought it was another message from Celes, but she couldn't recognize the number.

**???:** Why did you do it? 

She looked at the text in confusion pacing the floor trying to process what it could mean. She scrolled down further to see an image attached to it. The image was of a person tied to a chair with a bag over their head with a dirty hospital gown on and their body looked to be heavily mangled, but maybe they weren't dead...at least not yet. "No...that can't be it.." She stopped dead in her tracks when she realized what was going on. But this wasn't the most bizarre part about the image, Kyoko noticed that it looked like it was taken in her home. Specifically the her bathroom. There was a sign hung around the neck of the victim that read: 'Property of Kyoko Kirigiri.' 

She suddenly dropped her phone letting it hit the floor without a single care and made a beeline for the bathroom. She searched frantically pulling towels off the rack, opening cabinet doors, and knocking things over not caring what spilled or got dirty. As silly as she though it was she even checked the toilet. "Still no signs of a camera any where in here." She murmured to herself. But she hadn't heard anybody enter her home. She eventually came to the conclusion that they must have broken in while she was still at the casino. 

Kyoko knew she needed to calm herself down and try to at least confirm what she thought happened before she jumped to any conclusions. Someone's life is in danger, there was no time dawdle with her thoughts. She picked her phone up off the floor slightly relieved that hadn't been damaged from the fall. She decided to try figure out who this person was and what they were trying to accomplish.

**Kyoko:** Who is this? 

**???:** How could you?

**Kyoko:** I don't have time for this. Who sent you this picture? 

**???:** It doesn't matter who sent it. All I know is you're a suspect now. 

**Kyoko:** What? 

**???:** What kind of detective goes around beating up and kidnapping people?

**Kyoko:** I didn't do this. 

**???:** Sure you didn't. It's looking like you're the number one suspect so I suggest not getting the police involved.

**Kyoko:** Fine. I'm going to deal with this myself and when I do..you and whoever you're working with will be brought to justice.

Kyoko felt her stomach twist up into a knot as she laid in bed and recalled what the mystery man had said to her. The thought of someone trying to frame her for such a heinous crime made her feel sick, but she knew she couldn't falter. Saving that person and proving her innocence was too important now. It would be hard for her to just go to the police about it because she'd be the number one suspect in this case. There were no signs of a break in when she checked the door and windows, so it'd be hard to prove that someone broke in and did all of this.

She'd wondered how they even managed to set all of this up without moving anything around. Everything in the bathroom was the same as she left it and nothing had been changed. She cursed herself for making a mess of her bathroom before she could truly see if everything was the same. At one point she thought it may have just been a prank, but the whole thing just seemed too real. 

So many questions needed to be answered. Who was that girl in the video? Is she still alive? What would she do if she was arrested? She had no leads in the case and all of the evidence pointed to her. She would for sure be fired by the police force, but the worst part is....she'd probably go to jail and be disowned by her family. No...now wasn't the time to think about that. She needs keep her mind clear of all negativity and doubts. 

She already had an investigation pending, and now this had come up. As much as she wanted to just drop everything and help that person in the pictures, she knew that wasn't an option. Considering that she had already been assigned a case by the police department, she couldn't just drop it to look for this stranger. She hadn't even known if the person was still alive or not. The picture could have been taken long ago and this person could be long dead by now. Maybe they were doing this to try and derail her investigation into the illegal gambling ring. This had been one of the more difficult parts of her job.

Most people viewed Kyoko as cold uncaring woman and some might even go as far as calling her heartless, but she was far from that. One of her biggest fears was having someone seriously injured or killed because of her mistakes. As one can imagine, the decision to put this on the back burner wasn't easy for her. Plus, there was always the possibility of this just being used as a distraction from her current investigation....At least that's what she wanted to believe in order to make her feel better. 


	3. Unexpected Complications

Kyoko woke up the next day hoping that everything that had transpired last night was all just a bad dream. She even went as far checking her phone to look back over the messages she exchanged with the mystery man, but much to her dismay, they were real. She was even considerably more paranoid than usual, checking the locks on her door and windows to see if they had been tampered with. She even went as far as checking potential hiding places to make sure that no one was hiding and waiting to pounce on her. With her detective senses being more sharp than usual, she could detect smallest movement within her vicinity.

Suddenly...there was a small bit of movement out the corner of her eye. "Who ever your are...show yourself." She said firmly trying to hide any fear that may have resonated in her. It was only natural for her be a little bit scared. She may not be considered a weakling, but she wasn't exactly an athlete either, so her fear of being potentially overpowered by this intruder was real. There was movement again, but this time she was quick enough to turn around and see. When she saw what it was, her face almost immediately fell. The person that just got her so worked up just now wasn't a person at all.....it was just a fly. "How embarrassing....I really need to calm down and gather my thoughts." 

Kyoko sighed to herself as she shooed the fly out of the window and went to gather her thoughts. This was one of those moments where she found her being grateful that she lived alone. She went over to the bathroom, which was still a mess from last night. She made a mental note to clean up later on. Right now, she had more important things to take care of. She didn't feel comfortable showering in her own apartment, so she came up with a lie about her own shower being broken so that she could use her neighbor's instead. The older gentleman was a tad too eager to let her use his shower, but Kyoko shot him a threatening glare to let him know not to try anything mischievous. He seemed to have gotten the message by the cowered away from her.

Once she finished showering, she thanked her neighbor and returned to her apartment where she decided to continue her research. "Taeko Yasuhiro....there's something about that name....I just can't quite put my finger on it." Why had this name been stuck in her head since yesterday? She knew she was missing something, but even after she'd googled the name a second time, she still came up empty handed. She figured this person had to be associated with Celeste in some capacity since her phone number was registered to their name.

Of course, it could all just be a misunderstanding and this was just some random person who had nothing to do Celeste or the illegal gambling ring. A part of her was starting to believe that, but there were too many coincidences surrounding the two. She was going out with Celeste tonight and would use that as an opportunity to try and get as much information as she could. It was going to take a lot of patience and a lot of pretending to be interested, but..she knew that already.

* * *

Celeste stood there at the cafe waiting patiently for the detective to arrive. The atmosphere was perfect for setting the mood for the occasion. It was dark, but not too dark to where she felt she may be a target for potential thugs. The light emitting from inside the cafe helped keep the area well lit and also made for a nice romantic scene. She knew exactly what she wanted from Kyoko...and how to get it.

She scanned the area and smiled when her eyes landed upon a certain detective approaching from the distance. She wasn't as dressed up as she was when they met at the casino. She only wore a simple white blouse, short black skirt and had her tied into a ponytail, but Celeste still thought she looked beautiful. 

" _Arriving right on time...I expected nothing less."_ Celeste thought to herself as she smiled sweetly at the detective approaching her. 

"Good evening Kirigiri-San. You are looking as lovely as ever." She said as she placed a small chaste kiss on the back of Kyoko's gloved hand. This was one of her few moments of honesty. She'd told many tales and lied to herself about many things, but one thing she couldn't lie about was how beautiful the detective was to her and it made her so furious. But this wasn't out of envy. She was more upset at herself for being attracted to someone like Kyoko because she knew that the two of them were basically on opposite ends of the universe...Almost like rivals. 

"The night has just begun and you're already trying to seduce me." Kyoko said gently snatching her hand away from the gambler. Despite how charming Celeste was being, she knew she couldn't forget the real reason for meeting up with her. And that was to investigate her. Based off what she heard, she was well aware of how manipulative the gambler could be and she would not allow herself to fall into any sort of trap. 

Celeste chuckled at this. "Those are hardly my intentions dear. I just wanted the opportunity to treat you tonight. Now then...Shall we head in?" Kyoko glared suspiciously at her, trying to look for any cracks in her seemingly unbreakable mask, but instead found herself getting lost in her crimson red orbs for a brief moment. "Yeah, let's go." She said tearing her eyes away from hers. She didn't exactly trust her, but at this point, there was no turning back. 

Once inside the two of the sat across from each other at a small square table. The tension was so heavy that the both of them were sure it could be felt throughout the whole restaurant. Not that either of them cared. They just sat in silence carefully studying the other similar to how two martial artists would before they face off in an intense match. Even the waiter that had come by to take their orders seemed nervous and uneasy about the scene unfolding in front of him. They wouldn't even look away from each other when they were giving their orders. And after taking their orders, the waiter nervously scurried away. 

"What is it you want from me?" Kyoko broke the silence keeping her stoic expression that had a hint of a glare in it. 

"Hm? I should be asking you the same. If I am not mistaken, you are the one who asked me out. No?" Celeste responded with her signature poker face. "I simply gave you an offer. I did not force you to accept it and ask me out on a date."

"I know that...but why? Why did you approach me of all people?" Kyoko asked with her expression wavering a bit. 

Celeste sighed. "I just thought you were interesting enough for me to dedicate my time to you. As you may know....not many people get the opportunity to do so."

Kyoko didn't respond. She only sat there and pondered the gambler's words. To Kyoko she didn't seem like the evil woman everyone had warned her about...she almost seemed warm and more human. She thought to herself that maybe some of the stories she's heard about the gambler were exaggerated or just simply untrue. But then again, this could just be one of her manipulation tactics. " _No..I can't let myself be fooled. Remember why you're here."_ Her thoughts were interrupted by the waiter coming back to the table with their order. 

Kyoko took a sip of her coffee. "What exactly do you find so interesting about me?" Kyoko asked resting her chin on on her knuckles. She knew she needed to relax and try to be as calm as possible or else her plans would be foiled. Although, she _was_ legitimately interested in why Celeste chose to approach her in the first place. The two them had not even made eye contact or crossed paths before that moment, so it was a bit strange. 

Celeste's mouth slightly curved upward into a smirk. "Good question Kirigiri-San...you know..from the moment you walked into the casino last night my eyes were instantly drawn to you. I don't know why though. Perhaps....it was fate? Not only that...you seemed to barely react when I kissed you..which I thought was impressive." 

A slight shade of pink made it's way onto the detective's cheeks at the mention of the kiss. With all that's been going on, she had completely forgot about that and it caught her off guard, but Kyoko quickly regained her composure. "Would you be less impressed if I reacted more? Either way, I can't say I didn't enjoy it." She said flipping her hair trying to sound to sound nonchalant. 

"Still just as flirty as ever I see. But to answer your question...no. I could never be unimpressed with someone as gorgeous as you." Celeste spoke leaning forward and smirking at the detective. Kyoko nervously sipped her coffee. She knew that Celeste was just trying to mess with her head, but she wouldn't falter so easily. "You seem a lot more open now than when you first arrived. Which reminds me...you never answered my question." She said twirling a loc of her hair. Kyoko raised a brow at this. "What question?"

"You seemed so eager when you contacted me. What exactly do you find so interesting about me?" She asked in a tone mocking Kyoko's question from earlier. The truth is, she already knew the answer to this, but she wanted to see what kind of lie the detective would come up with to hide the truth. 

The tables had now turned as Kyoko sat there trying to come up with the best response without revealing too much. This would be challenging for her since she didn't have much experience with flirting or giving out compliments. "Well for starters..You're not bad to look at. I've also never had anyone just walk up to me and kiss me before. Most people seem to be intimidated by me, but you weren't. Do you always kiss random strangers or was I just lucky?" Kyoko said with a hint of sarcasm. Celeste giggled at this and took a small sip of her tea.

"Do you honestly think I would kiss just anyone? I already told you...you are one of the few people to have the privilege of getting this close to me." From what Kyoko knew she wasn't telling a lie. The gambler didn't seem to have too many relationships or flings, but it was hard to know for sure since she'd always kept her personal affairs private. 

"I see...But I'm still curious as to why you did it." Kyoko asked. She was getting bored with the small talk, but she'd look too suspicious if she just all of a sudden questioned her about her gambling. _"I guess this is why I don't date much."_ Kyoko thought to herself, growing impatient. She hated small talk and it was hard for her to stay interested in conversations that she felt were a waste of time. She was uninterested in pretty much everything until......she suddenly felt the sensation of the gambler's stocking clad foot rub against her bare leg causing her to let out an involuntary whimper. It wasn't loud enough to be heard around the restaurant, but it was audible enough for Celeste to notice it.

"I think you and I both know the answer to that question." Celeste said as she sat the running her foot up and down the detective's leg. She studied her closely trying gauge what type of reactions she got from the other woman. She smirked to herself when she noticed how tense the detective became as as she moved her foot further up her leg closer to her thigh. Kyoko was glaring at her from across the table, but Celeste remained unmoved by this because of the slight shade of pink that had formed on the detective's face. And there was also the fact that she didn't even attempt to make her stop. 

"Something wrong dear?" Celeste asked smiling mischievously at her. Kyoko was feeling an array of emotions at this point. She felt ashamed with herself because she could feel the heat rising in cheeks and there was no way of hiding it. There was a hint of something else, but she couldn't quite tell what it was. She wasn't too use to physical contact..especially like this. 

It was becoming more difficult for Kyoko to maintain her stoic expression, but luckily for her, Celeste suddenly withdrew her foot from her leg. She couldn't tell if she was more relieved or disappointed at this. "Tell me Kirigiri-San.......do you want me?" Celeste asked innocently tracing the circumference of her teacup with her index finger. She could tell from the look on the detective's face that she did. Despite her trying her best to hold her stoic expression, Celeste could see the cracks in that mask of hers. _"I've got her right where I want her."_ She thought to herself as she stared into Kyoko's intense lilac eyes.

"I...." Kyoko hesitated to get her words out. She wasn't sure what to say or how to respond to the question. Did she really want Celeste? Or was she just pretending to for the sake of the investigation? That's what she wanted to believe, but something told her it was more than just about the investigation. She knew what she feeling, but she didn't want to come to terms with it. It was inappropriate. "I do.." She finally managed to say. _"What am even I saying right now?"_ Being attracted to someone like her is wrong...It's inappropriate...Unprofessional. Her head felt like it was spinning and it felt like she had no control over herself or her own words. This wasn't how this was supposed to go at all. 

Almost as if she had no control over her actions...Kyoko suddenly rose from her seat. "I'm sorry......I need to go." She said hastily walking towards the exit ignoring the curious stares from the other patrons. She didn't even look back to see Celeste's reaction as she kept walking until she was completely out of view. A part of her felt bad for leaving Celeste, but she knew she needed to leave to sort through her emotions. Something about this just didn't feel right to her. Kyoko's had her fair share of emotionally altering cases, but this one felt different somehow. Naturally she wouldn't let her emotions get the best of her during investigations, but it was hard not to since it directly involved her feelings and not someone else's. 

Celeste sat there sipping her tea seemingly unbothered by the detective's sudden exit. She had not expected someone like Kyoko to panic like that and it initially caught her off guard. She had even wondered if she'd taken things too far and wondered if she should check on her, but quickly shook the thought. She shouldn't care about such things. "So that's the kind of person she is..hm? If that's the case...this will be easier than I initially thought." She mumbled to herself staring down at her empty teacup. 

She was now well aware of the detective's attraction to her which made everything much easier. She paid the tab and left the restaurant. "This also means that I am going to need to make the necessary preparations a lot sooner than I expected." 


	4. Moving forward

She gently closed her eyes and slowly sank into into the steamy hot water with a satisfied sigh. A small delighted smile made its way on to her face as she allowed herself to relax. "It's always nice to have days like these all to myself." Celeste said as she let out another sigh. There were few things the gambler enjoyed more than cleaning out the pockets of commoners. One of those things was being alone and enjoying a nice hot bubble bath with the occasional bottle of red wine by her side. She enjoyed people admiring her, but for the most part she just liked being able to enjoy her lifestyle out of the view of those admirers.

A slight scowl made it's way onto the gambler's face when her moment of content was suddenly interrupted with the ringing of her phone. She sighed and checked to see who it was and surprised when she saw it was none other than Kyoko herself. She had not spoken to her since their little 'date' a couple of nights ago. To her, Kyoko didn't seem like the kind of person to call or text first. Celeste rolled her eyes at this and decided to continue with her bath letting the phone go to voicemail. She didn't like anyone interrupting her 'me time' even it was someone she was interested in. She was probably one of the worst kind of people to talk to because she only returned calls and texts when she felt like it regardless of her relationship with the person. 

She finished her bath for the night wrapping herself in a towel and headed off to her bedroom. She didn't even bother looking for clothes...instead she reached straight for the black box she kept hidden under her bed and dragged the semi-heavy box out from under the bed. "Curse my lack of daily exercise." She sighed to herself. She managed to lift the box up just enough to get it on her mattress where she began digging through its contents. The box contained a variety of different manga with multiple genres and themes. However, almost all of them had something to do with vampires.

Even though she lived on her own now, it was still common for her to keep her manga collection hidden out of view. It had become a habit in her younger days to hide her collection from the other Kids at the orphanage out of fear of being made fun of. After an incident that involved her being brutally bullied for reading manga at school, she vow to never let anyone know her secret, including the people she lived with. 

After sorting through multiple volumes, she finally decided on one. It was a romance novel about a young man who was a vampire, but lived his life as a normal human in order to keep his secret safe. He had the misfortune of falling in love with a woman who was human, but he couldn't understand why she was so attached to someone like him.

Celeste found herself in similar situations. While she always appeared confident, she couldn't understand why she had so many people who admired her. She spent most of her time alone and had barely even acknowledged them. So..why so much admiration? Was it her beauty? Was it her talent? Or was it simply just out of fear? Either way, Celeste didn't mind, as long as these people kept their distance. She wasn't the strongest person around, but she had her own ways of dealing with crazy or obsessed fans. Not that most tried to go that far with her anyways.

Romance novels were always her favorite despite the lack of romance in her own life. Sure there were always men and even women in some cases, who wanted to fulfill that empty space, but she would always turn them away when she suspected their intentions to be less than ideal. If she had to be honest, she did feel a little lonely at times and yearned for the affection of another person. But this was more so Taeko's feelings. Celestia didn't get lonely. She believed that no one was ever going to be good enough to occupy her space and take up her time. 

Oddly enough she felt similar to the main character in this way as well. While she was no vampire, she had spent her whole life feeling like she didn't belong in the same realm as other people. She placed herself above everyone else and the thought of falling in love with someone she considered a plebeian disgusted her. Because of this she came to the conclusion that no one was worthy of being in any sort of relationship with her. The only person that was worthy of her time wasn't even a person....it was her pet cat, Grand Bois Cheri Ludenberg. She had adopted him one day in the hopes of eliminating Taeko's nagging feelings of occasional loneliness. Of course, it wasn't the same as having a significant other, but it was good enough for her. She took care of and spoiled him like a child, so you could say it was like having another person around. 

Once she'd grown tired of her reading, she placed the the novel back into its rightful place in the black box and went to go dress herself. She dressed herself in a lacy black night gown and returned to bed. She decided she would return Kyoko's call before the night was over. As much as she wanted to, it would be unfair to ignore the poor girl forever. Plus, she'd already made her preparations and it'd be best not to drag things out.

...

When Celeste didn't answer, Kyoko had wondered if the gambler was still mad at her for ditching her at the cafe the other night. She cursed herself for making such an impulsive decision. Not only had she potentially ruined things with Celeste, but she had also unintentionally made her investigation more difficult. Wait...why did she care about ruining things with her? She needed to remind herself that this was a criminal investigation and Celeste was a suspect. Forming any kind of relationship with someone who might be a criminal was something that did not fit her image at all. 

Having self control was never difficult for a woman like Kyoko. She'd never really cared about relationships or sex. Of course she had her moments just like most people did, but due to her career, it wasn't something she thought about frequently. But now she was confused as to why she struggling to hold herself together. _"I'm allowed to find someone attractive..right?"_ She shook her head. "You're a detective and you work for the police. Having inappropriate relationships with criminals is wrong." The detective said staring back at her reflection as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror trying to convince herself of this fact. It wasn't like she needed too much convincing though. Her career was more important than anything to her and risking that just be with Celeste was completely out of the question. 

Kyoko's was suddenly startled by a loud buzz from her bedroom as her phone vibrated against the bed. "What is it now?" She sighed and left the bathroom to see who was calling her. "Speak of the devil.." She said to herself as she checked the phone to see that Celeste was calling her back. Talking to Celeste right now wasn't going to help her current predicament. She even contemplated on whether she should answer or not, but convinced herself that it was for the good of the investigation so she decided to answer anyway. Besides, it would be wrong to ignore her after what happened a couple of nights ago. 

"Hello?" She tried her best not show that there was any nervousness in her voice. 

"It is a pleasure hearing from you again Kirigiri-san."

"Enough with the formalities, just tell me what it is you want." 

"Hm? If I am not mistaken..you are the one that called me first. No? I was simply minding my business and enjoying my alone time..when I got a call from you."

Kyoko blushed when she realized Celeste was right. But she admitted that she wasn't even busy when Kyoko called, so that meant that she purposely ignored her. Kyoko hated to be ignored so she was slightly annoyed at this. Although, it was kind of her fault for suddenly walking out on their last meetup, so it's not like she didn't deserve it to some extent. "I....um. I wanted to apologize for my abrupt exit the other night. I really do hope you aren't too upset."

Celeste let out a sigh. "You wound me Kirigiri. And here I thought that this was the start of something beautiful" She spoke sounding disappointed. 

"It can still be that...why don't you let me make it up to you somehow?" 

_"What am I doing?"_ Kyoko thought to herself. She knew that this was for the sake of the investigation, but somehow...it just didn't feel right. 

"Oh? and just how do you plan on doing that?" 

"Whatever you want." That came out sounding more suggestive than what she would have liked. Much to Celeste's amusement. 

A light chuckle was heard from over the phone. "Oh my Kirigiri-San...this could go so many ways.." Kyoko shuddered thinking about the implications of what she'd just said.

"But..I think a nice dinner date will do for now." 

She was relieved to here that it was something as simple as a dinner date and not something she'd regret later on in life. Which was unexpected coming from someone like Celeste. Maybe she hadn't been that bad after all...

"Okay then, that's doable. It'll be my treat." 

"Yes....yes it will." Celeste giggled on the other end.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the mischievous statement, but decided not to acknowledge it.

"Whatever.....I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Celes-San."

"Goodnight Kirigiri-San." She spoke before hanging up.

Kyoko set her alarm and put her phone on the nightstand. She couldn't figure out why she felt so nervous about this. This is what she was suppose to be doing. Going undercover to find out the truth behind this illegal gambling ring and nothing more. And being nervous was not a good excuse to back out of a case. She knew this. So why did she feel this way? It's just a simple dinner date....right? 


	5. Breaking the Ice Queen

Kyoko figured she'd have some time left before she had to meet up with Celeste for their date so she decided to work some more on the investigation. She made sure that no one was following her and made her back to the casino where she first met Celeste. Luckily for her, the gambler appeared to be absent from the casino during this time, so she was free to continue her investigation without any distractions. But still..going in as herself would be too risky, so she had to come up with another disguise. Using a wig, contact lenses, and a janitor outfit, she was able to disguise herself as a member of the cleanup crew. 

She figured that questioning some of the employees and owners would make her look too suspicious. There was always the possibility of them working with the criminals running the illegal gambling ring, but it was the only way she'd be able to gather information. She looked around near the entrance until her eyes landed upon a middle-aged man dressed in a security uniform. He shot her a friendly smile and nodded when he noticed she was walking in his direction.

"Good afternoon miss. Can I help you with something?" He said keeping his tone friendly. Kyoko didn't even bother with a proper introduction since she knew her time was limited. "Detective Kirigiri. I need to ask you a few questions about this establishment. Is that alright?" It came out as more of a demand than a question. She flashed her badge making sure that it was out of the view of others. It was still early so the casino was relatively empty, but she didn't want to take any chances. "Um..S-Sure go ahead miss." He stammered. 

Even with that ridiculous disguise on, she still maintained her ability to come off as intimidating. Kyoko didn't mean to make him nervous, but she needed him to know that she meant business. "Great. First, let me ask...do I have your permission to record our conversation?" The man didn't speak, he only simply nodded at her. "Good. Has there been any kind of altercation here lately? Between patrons, employees, or gang members?" She asked taking out her phone to record the conversation. She figured she'd look less suspicious if she used her phone to take notes instead of an actual notepad.

"Outside of the typical drunk aggravating some customers...no. The casino has a strict policy against violence." 

It was insignificant to the instigation, but Kyoko still took note of this. "I see...has there been any suspicious individuals hanging at or around this casino?"

"I do notice some yakuza from time to time, but I don't really feel comfortable talking too much about them. You understand right?" The man said with a worried expression his face. She could tell he was silently pleading with her by the look in his eyes. Kyoko had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, but she understand the man's reluctance to speak of the yakuza since they were known for being a dangerous group of people. Last thing she needed was another person getting hurt because of her actions. 

"How long have you been working here? Are you familiar with the high roller that goes by the name Celestia Ludenberg?"

"I've been here for 6 years. And yes." Wasn't that long, but it was long enough for him to know who Celeste was. 

"Tell me everything you know about her." That came out more desperate than what Kyoko would have liked, but she figured she'd made her point.

They only stood there talking for 10 minutes, but if felt like an eternity for Kyoko. "Thank you for your cooperation." She said as she stood there for a few seconds taking note of everything. And just when she was about to leave, something caught her eye. Her detective senses started tingling when she noticed a group of men wearing black suits approaching the casino from a distance. She didn't even say anything or acknowledge the man before she swiftly made her way into the main room of the casino where she began sweeping the floor. From the look on his face, the security guard was confused by her actions, but seemed to not want to question her about it. 

The men walked right past the nervous security guard and into the main room where Kyoko was sweeping. They stopped dead in their tracks and looked around the casino as if they were searching for something or _someone._ She froze when one of the men looked over in her direction and made eye contact with her and turned to whisper something to one of the other men. Unfortunately, she was too far away to make out what they were says and decided to just resume sweeping. Maybe if she acted like she didn't notice them, they'd leave her alone, but that idea was quickly shot down when she noticed them walking towards her. What did they want? Did they recognize her? 

Kyoko could practically feel her heart beating out of her chest as the men approached her. She contemplated on whether or not she should stay calm and act natural or if she should make a run for it. There was not a lot of time to think about it as they were approaching fast. She braced herself for whatever was about to come, but as they were approaching, they did not walk to her, but they walked past her? She was slightly confused until she saw what appeared to be the owner of the casino step out from behind the door to his office and invite them in. The owner himself seemed like a loud boisterous man in his late twenties or early thirties. While he didn't appear to be a suspicious individual, Kyoko still made a mental note to find out more about him later on. 

"I need to get out of here." She said sighing in relief. "Hey you!" Her eyes widened slightly at a loud male voice shouting at her from behind. She turned to see a young man about her age dressed in a similar outfit to hers. He looked really annoyed at her for some reason. "What are you doing? You've been sweeping the same spot for a while now. The bathrooms and kitchen still need cleaning ya know.." He said loud enough for anyone in their vicinity to hear. Kyoko just stared back at him in confusion, glad that the casino was relatively empty during this time. He seemed like the type to take his job way more serious than the average person would. And while Kyoko usually admired this kind of dedication, she had better things to do. "Actually, my shift just ended....So I must be going now." She said, shoving the broom into his hands as she turned to walk away, leaving the young man confused. 

...

There was still a couple of hours to spare before she met up with Celeste so she decided to look over the information she obtained from the security guard. From what he told her, Celeste only frequented the casino 3 days out the week, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. This was strange to her because she figured someone who was considered a high roller would spend more time than that at a casino. Kyoko wondered if there was a specific reason for scheduling her days like that. What does she do in her spare time? Is she affiliated with those men from earlier? Kyoko also noted that she only visited at nighttime and was always dropped off and picked up by a private escort. "interesting."

Kyoko was so busy with the investigation, that she had almost lost track of the time. Luckily for her, it would only take her an hour to get ready. They weren't going anywhere fancy so there was no need to go overboard with her appearance. 

The first thing Kyoko did when she finished showering was check her phone for any weird texts. It had become a habit of hers since the incident from a few nights ago. She was relieved to see that her inbox was empty, but it wasn't like the culprit hadn't already got what he wanted out of her. She swore, when she found this creep, she'd make sure he payed for trying to frame her in this manner. Kyoko was no murderer. She knew that, but it would be hard to prove that with the evidence pilled up against her. She felt herself getting disgusted all over again, but no matter how much it bothered her, she knew she had more pressing matters to attend to.

* * *

Celeste had not yet arrived when she got there, but it was to be expected. Celeste was the kind of person who seemed like she'd show up 'fashionably late.' Kyoko wasn't the type of person who liked to wait, so she at some point considered leaving if she had to wait too long for the gambler to show up. "The least she could do was actually show up on time" Kyoko mumbled to herself. She was starting feel slightly embarrassed because it almost seemed like she'd been stood up. 

After waiting around for ten minutes, she was finally greeted by the gambler's soft voice. "Good evening Kirigiri. You are looking exceptionally beautiful tonight." She said casually approaching the detective as if she weren't twelve minutes late. Kyoko was only wearing her usual outfit, which was black blazer over her white blouse with a short violet colored skirt. She knew Celeste was only trying to throw her off, but she promised herself she wouldn't fall for any of her tricks tonight.

"Hello." She said flatly as she stood there with her arms folded not even bothering to look at the gambler. One could tell from the look on her face, that she was annoyed. "Oh come now Kirigiri, It was not my intent to be late on purpose. There is no need to be upset." Celeste said. Kyoko swore she could detect a little bit of sincerity in her voice as she said this. Almost as if she genuinely felt bad for being late, but Kyoko decided to ignore it. "Let's just go." She said walking inside not even waiting for Celeste to follow. 

Once the two of them had settled in and ordered, Celeste attempted to make conversation with the detective, but she was still peeved. "You know...I never mistook you for the type to hold grudges Kirigiri." She said trying to lighten the mood. "Well...it's not like you made an effort to apologize." Kyoko spoke finally looking Celeste in the eyes for the first time tonight. Celeste sighed and clasped both of her hands around one of Kyoko's hands. Kyoko seemed to be surprised by this for second, but quickly returned back to her stoic demeanor. 

"I do apologize for my tardiness. It was very inconsiderate of me. Please...forgive me?" She said staring intensively into the detective's eyes. It came out as slightly condescending, but Kyoko knew it was the closest she'd get to a real apology. "Whatever.... If we're going to be doing this, I'd prefer if you told me a little bit more about yourself." Kyoko said with her tone remaining flat. Celeste just chuckled at this. "What's there to know? From my understanding you already know who I am and what I do. No? But if I'm not mistaken...I barely know anything about you either."

"What do you want to know?" Kyoko said taking a sip of her drink. "Hm...that's a good question my dear. I'll start with something simple. What is your line of work?" 

Kyoko almost instantly started to panic. She'd wondered if she should make something up or be honest about being a detective. She could easily just lie, but she knew the gambler would be able to figure her out almost immediately. Celeste was a lot of things, but stupid or naive was none of them. Kyoko knew this so she ultimately decided to just be honest. "I um..."

"Wait, let me guess.....You are a model?" Celeste asked innocently. "What? No.." Kyoko said with a hint of disgust in her voice. Despite her looks, Kyoko would never be into doing something of that nature. She absolutely hated to be looked at and admired in that manner. "Really? I assumed with your beauty, that you'd at be some kind of model." Celeste said through a chuckle. Kyoko only rolled her eyes at this because she knew Celeste was just flattering her at this point. "No....I actually work as a detective."

"Someone as pretty as you shouldn't have to dirty their hands with that kind of work." Celeste scoffed. "Well...it's what I do. I've been training most of my life to become an elite detective."

"How adorable." 

"You've been quite the flatterer tonight. Are you like this with everyone? Or is it just me?" Kyoko asked smirking at the gambler. "It's obviously just you. Is it really so bad that I want to make you feel....wanted Kirigiri?" The gambler asked clutching her hands over her heart with a look of sadness spread across her face that almost made Kyoko feel bad for her. "I never said it was a bad thing...I'm not use to receiving that many compliments, but it's still appreciated." Celeste raised an eyebrow at this. "That is hard to believe considering your appearance." 

Kyoko's expression remained neutral, but she was burning up on the inside. She knew she needed to cut things off right here, but something in her mind wouldn't allow her to. Aborting undercover missions when things got too dicey was something she was already use to, but this particular case was different to her somehow. Was she developing some kind of feelings for the high roller? She wanted so badly to believe that she wasn't, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to suppress her feelings forever. She was falling for a criminal...

What was she going to do? Kyoko could feel her head spinning similar to how she felt the first time they went out, but she promised herself that she wouldn't react that way unless she was in real danger. And right now there wasn't any real danger....except for her own feelings. 

"I really do appreciate the dinner, but I am afraid it is getting late and I must be on my way." Celeste spoke interrupting the detective's thoughts. Kyoko just silently nodded as she and Celeste left the restaurant. 

"Kyoko..." Her voice was so smooth and enticing that it made Kyoko stop dead in her tracks. Kyoko was so shocked at the gambler addressing her in that way that she didn't know whether to be annoyed or just curious at this. She had never heard Celeste address her in this way, but she couldn't find it in herself to be upset with her either. With a nervous sigh, she turned to face the gambler only to find her inching closer to her until the gap between them had finally closed. 

Kyoko's mind had gone blank at this point as she could feel Celeste's lips against her own. She could feel her small delicate hands wrap themselves around her waist. _"No.."_ She could feel own hands snake their way around the gambler's neck as she unconsciously kissed back.. _"What are you doing? Stop this."_ She needed to stop.....but she couldn't....nor did she really want to. _"You're a fool. Think about your job."_ It was as if something inside of her clicked and she suddenly found herself reluctantly pulling away from the other woman. 

Celeste giggled at this. She seemed to be amused by the fact that Kyoko was so flustered. "Tell me Kyoko.....Tell me you want me.." She whispered softly into the detective's ear. It was at this moment that she felt any type of dignity or composure she had left slip away. She didn't udder a single word as both her hands were now clutching on to Celeste's blazer and before the gambler could even respond she was pulled into rough kiss. 

Slightly caught off guard, she had not expected Kyoko to be this rough with her...not that she was complaining of course. Her hands immediately found their way back around the detective's waist as she eagerly kissed the lavender haired woman back. Kyoko once again pulled away from the kiss. "Something wrong?" Celeste asked with a hint of concern.

"We're in public.." Kyoko said trying sound serious, but it was hard to take her seriously when she blushing harshly. Celeste sighed. "I suppose you are correct. Perhaps...we could continue this another time. Would you be interested in joining me for tea at my place tomorrow?"

Kyoko hesitated for a second. Should she really be going to this woman's house for 'tea'? Despite her attraction to her she knew that Celeste was still a potentially dangerous person. What if she had her kidnapped? Or even worse...killed? But ultimately against her better judgement, she accepted the the offer from the gambler. "Yeah...that's fine."

"Good because I have got so much planned for you." She said smiling devilishly at the detective. Soon after, she turned to leave walking in the opposite direction. Kyoko watched her until she was completely out of sight before going her own way.

Kyoko could swear she saw something more than simple mischief behind that smirk of hers...That look on her face just now....This wasn't a look of mischief or lust even...It was more like malice? Kyoko had spent a lot of time studying other people, so she was sure she could detect something malevolent in those crimson red eyes. Maybe it just a misunderstanding on her part...Once again going against her better judgement, she decided that she would ignore her own conscious. 

This was going to be a bad idea wasn't it? 


	6. Welcome to Hell!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celeste finally reveals who she really is.

This was absolutely a bad idea. Yet....She still decided to go through with it. Why? She didn't know. All she knew was that she was here now and there was no turning back at this point. She took one last nervous breath and knocked on the door to Celeste's house. 

After waiting a few seconds, the door finally opened to reveal the gambler standing there in her usual gothic lolita attire. Kyoko had always wondered if she ever wore normal clothes at any point in her life, but never got around to asking. "Ah..Kyoko. I am so glad you came." She said smiling mischievously at her. Kyoko rolled her eyes at this. "Well, it would be rude for me to stand you up."

"Please...come in" She gestured her inside. Something kept telling her not to go, it was almost like some invisible force pulling her back, but she didn't pay it any mind. Kyoko sighed to herself and reluctantly entered the gambler's home. 

At least it looked clean...not that she expected someone like Celeste to have a dirty house. In fact, the house itself seemed quite fancy and expensive, but she expected nothing less from the high-roller. It was a surprisingly calm atmosphere that almost made her completely abandon all her worries. It even made her question whether or not she should be worrying for no reason. 

"Please, take a seat while I go prepare us some tea." She said gesturing for Kyoko to sit on the couch. She smiled sweetly at her and left the room without another word. Kyoko sat there thinking about how she was going to get Celeste to confess to her crimes. Celeste was smart and was known as the queen of liars, so outsmarting her would prove to be a little difficult. And she just couldn't bring herself to take advantage of the gambler's feelings just so she could arrest her. Kyoko could be ruthless when it came to her detective work if she needed to, but right now it didn't seem necessary. But that was mostly due to her own feelings. Criminal or not, She knew she at least felt something for her. 

"My apologies. I do you hope that you were not waiting too long." Celeste returned to the room holding two cups of tea for the both of them. She held out the teacup to kyoko, who just stared blankly at her for a brief period before taking it. "Thanks.." She uttered trying not to sound like she was suspicious of the beverage. 

Kyoko just sat there staring down at the cup of tea in front her. She wasn't sure if she should drink it or not. After all, there was the possibility of this being poisoned. And she'd learned enough from being a detective to know all about poisoned drinks. It didn't smell or look any different from normal tea, but she was still very reluctant to drink it. "Oh my..How embarrassing. Is the tea I made not to your liking?" Celeste asked staring at her with a concerned look on her face. "No...it's just.." Kyoko found herself not knowing what to say. Celeste raised an eyebrow at this, but her mouth curved into slight smirk as she let out a chuckle. "You think it's poisoned." Her expression fell as set her own cup down on the coffee table. Kyoko felt kind of bad, but she knew more than anyone that no matter how much she liked Celeste, her safety came first.

"How disappointing.." Celeste sighed and rose from her seat. "I will not force you to drink it if you do not wish to." She said as she grabbed the teacup from Kyoko's hand, who just stared at her in confusion. "You told me you were a detective. So I understand why you would be cautious of me. It's only a natural reaction. No?" She said through a chuckle as she began walking toward the kitchen. She somehow sounded different. That little chuckle...It wasn't the same as her signature one, but it came out as more bitter? " _Somethings not right."_ Kyoko thought. All she could do was sit there and stare at the gambler in confusion as she rambled on. _"Did I hurt her feelings?"_

Celeste was about to leave the room but suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. "You know Kyoko...I really like that about you. Not only are you good looking...but you also have the brains to match....you don't see that very often." She said turning back to face Kyoko again. And like that, her personality had seemed to return to normal. '"To be completely honest....I would probably do the same if I were in your position." Kyoko raised an eyebrow at this. "Does that mean you tried to poison me just now?" She finally spoke getting straight to the point.

Celeste giggled as she began walking toward where Kyoko was sitting. "Of course not dear. I would never do something so....crass." She said as her expression turned neutral. Kyoko's eyes widened as she watched Celeste take sip from the same teacup she had taken away from her moments ago as she turned back toward the kitchen. "Wait, Celes I'm sorry. I Just-" Kyoko started to apologize, but she was interrupted by the sound of the teacup shattering as it hit the floor. 

There was an unsettling silence as Celeste just stood there with her back turned not saying anything or making any kind of noise. The only noise that could be heard was the ticking of the clock on the wall in the room with them. It was so quiet that if you listened close enough you could hear the faint breathing of both women. "Um..Celes?" Kyoko asked nervously. Half of her wanted to plan an exit strategy because something in the back of her mind was telling her to get the hell out of there while she still could, but the other half was genuinely concerned about the gambler and wanted to make sure that she was okay. Had she really hurt her feelings that bad?

Celeste started giggling as she once again turned to face Kyoko, but this time she stayed in the same spot. There's that bitter laughter again. "You are such an arrogant little bitch Kyoko." She said smiling sweetly at the detective. "For you to think that I would stoop so low as to poisoning you is insulting to say the least. Have you forgotten who I am? If I wanted to kill, my methods would be so much more....romantic." She said briefly dropping her accent. Kyoko wouldn't admit it, but she had a point. Celeste's whole demeanor was equivalent to a cat that liked to torture her prey before she went for the kill and poising would be much too common for someone like her. But the question remained...was she planning on killing her? If so..how would she do it? 

"You may leave if you wish to. I have already gotten what I wanted from you anyway." Kyoko felt her heart drop at that statement. "What do you mean you've already got what you wanted?" Celeste didn't say anything as she walked over to a small shelf that contained what looked like a photo album. Kyoko had not moved an inch as she watched the gambler's every move. She watched her like a hawk making sure that she wouldn't try to do anything sneaky. 

Celeste reached between the pages of the album pulling out three pictures that looked to be taken with a digital camera. She turned back smirking at Kyoko, who was still watching her closely. The detective had not yet processed what was going on and just watched in confusion as Celeste approached her with the pictures in her hand. Celeste stood in front her staring with a small smile on her face holding out the picture for her to take. 

Kyoko contemplated on taking them at first, but ultimately she ended up reluctantly doing so. She almost instantly dropped them on the floor as her neutral expression turned into one of horror. "You...... you're a murderer." Kyoko said in disgust. She had so many emotions and thoughts running through her body that she could barely think straight. Most notably, she felt heartbroken. Thinking about how she had started to feel something for this woman disgusted her. _"I can't believe she's a murderer.."_

"I take it you are happy with my work." 

"I don't get it.....why? I thought...."

"You thought we were a thing? Heh hehehe. Don't make me laugh. Do you honestly think I would trust someone like you to get that close to me? Your whole plan was to arrest me for that illegal gambling ring. I've known what your intentions were since day one." She spoke bitterly. " _ouch"_ Kyoko winced when she realized she couldn't even come up with a retort for this. Despite it being harsh, everything Celeste said was true. The only reason she dealt with her was because her job required her to. At least.... that's what it was before she was made aware of her crush on the gambler.

"To be honest we would have been such an amazing couple in another universe...Too bad I hate you and everything you stand for....But, I suppose that's just another example of how cruel life can be at times." She said smiling with her hands clasped together under her chin. "I...I don't understand. Why those pictures? How did you even get those? Why are you threatening to blackmail me?" One could swear they detected a hint of hurt in the detective's voice as she asked this. And they'd be absolutely right. She didn't want to believe that Celeste was a murderer and that this was who she really was. But all of the evidence was right there in front of her. She couldn't deny it.

"I don't understand any of this. How can you harvest so much hate for someone you barely know?" Despite feeling an array of emotions, Kyoko knew she needed to get to the bottom of all of this. After all, she is a detective and it is a part of her job. Celeste looked a bit shocked at her question as if she wasn't sure of the reason was herself, but her expression quickly changed into a smug one. "I'm surprised you don't already know." She said nonchalantly. Kyoko's eyebrows furrowed. "Know what?" "It doesn't matter."And at that moment, Kyoko felt herself become more annoyed. "You're right it doesn't matter....because you're under arrest." She said firmly. As much as it pained her to say it, she couldn't just ignore the fact that Celeste was a murderer. She had began reaching for the handcuffs in her blazer pocket, but was interrupted by a small chuckle coming from the gambler. "I fail to see the humor in this." Kyoko said. 

Celeste didn't even seem bothered by the fact that Kyoko had just threatened to arrest her. In fact she seemed more amused about it than anything. "Would you really arrest me my love?" She asked playfully grabbing the detective's hand in a romantic way. "Don't touch me." She said snatching her hand away in disgust. "Besides, you're a murderer. I have to arrest you." Celeste giggled at this. "What proof do you have that makes me a murderer? If I am not mistaken all of the evidence points to you being the culprit. Does it not?...you can not arrest me without proof." She teased. 

"But I'm sure you know that by now.....what's more important is that you're going to be my servant and do everything I ask you to do. And....if you refuse I'm sure you know what will happen as we've discussed it through text a few days ago." Kyoko sat there as she stared in horror trying to process everything Celeste told her. What had she gotten herself into? And how would she get herself out of it? 

"Now then...I shall return shortly." Celeste left the room leaving Kyoko pondering whether she should make a break for the exit or not. This was a test. Celeste had not even bothered to inebriate her or restrain her in any way. There was literally nothing stopping her from leaving, but she couldn't....even if she wanted to. She had complete control over her physical body, but she couldn't bring herself to leave. It felt like her her mind was somehow bound to this place. It was almost like being trapped in some kind of mental prison. She was aware of what would happen if she decided to defy her. Celeste was almost like an evil genius....she knew exactly what she was doing. 

Celeste returned to the room holding up an outfit and smiling mischievously at the lavender haired woman. Kyoko didn't even let her speak before she figured out what the outfit in her hand was. "I suspected you of being crazy before, but if you really expect me to wear that, then I know for a fact that you are completely insane." Kyoko protested. 

"As I said earlier...I will not force you to do anything. You are free to leave if you please." 

_"_ _Dammit"_ Kyoko grit her teeth as she knew that she was knew that she had no choice but obey the orders of the gambler. She'd play this little game with her until she figured out a way to escape without throwing her her life away. She might even be able to find some evidence to prove that Celeste is guilty of murder. Then again...this is just her trying to be optimistic. She knew that in the end...nothing good would come from this situation. "Fine.." Kyoko said with a sigh. "Excellent choice detective. Now...follow me please." She said smiling as if she weren't basically blackmailing the other woman. This angered Kyoko, but for now she would have to cooperate.

Celeste led her to an empty closet that was big enough for two people to fit, but Celeste didn't follow behind. She only held out the outfit to Kyoko who reluctantly snatched it away earning a small chuckle from the gambler. The closet even had a mirror in it so that she could look at herself afterwards. _"Who even does stuff like this? Is this closet used for this sole purpose? Has she done this type of stuff with other women before?"_ Kyoko shuddered at the thought as she stared back at her reflection. The more time she spent with her, the more she became creeped out by her. What had she even saw in her before? She wondered if Celeste was still waiting outside. "While I do appreciate the anticipation...I would advise you not to dawdle. We.....no...you have so much work to do." Celeste said from the other side of the door. _"I guess that answers that question.."_

Kyoko sighed to herself as her eyes landed upon the outfit hanging on the racks. She scowled when she realized how skimpy and revealing the maid uniform was. The dress was way shorter than what a typical maid would wear and the fact that it came with knee highs, garters, and high heels made it even more ridiculous. She would never willingly wear something like this. Sighing once again, she reluctantly began removing her clothes until she was completely nude, with the exception of her underwear and gloves of course. She made sure to fold them neatly so they wouldn't become dirty. The outfit itself wasn't much, but the accessories attached to it seemed to make it more complicated. Kyoko was not use to wearing anything of this nature so she did the best she could when dressing up. 

It took her almost 10 minutes to get the outfit and all of its accessories on. She flushed bright red once she got a good luck at herself in the mirror. Just as she had suspected.. the skimpy French maid uniform had barely left anything to imagination. "You are taking an awful long time in there. Do you need any help dear?" Celeste teased. "No. I'm not coming out." Kyoko said flatly. "I do not think you have a choice. Unless you want to got the alternative route.."

"This is dumb. I feel and look ridiculous."

"GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE BEFORE YOU END UP LIVING IN A JAIL CELL!" 

A little taken aback by the gambler's tone of voice, she sighed to herself and reluctantly opened the closet door. She stepped out to see the gambler ogling her like a piece of meat. Which cause her to blush even harder. 

_"Oh my...she looks even better than I expected.."_ Celeste thought to herself as she continued to admire the detective's body. "You know...this something I'd expect from an old dirty perverted man....not someone like you." Kyoko spoke interrupting the gambler's thoughts.

"Expect the unexpected my dear." She said clasping her hands together under her chin. "But that's enough chit chat for now. You have a mess you need to clean up. Come along now." She said walking back toward the living room with Kyoko following close behind. Once the two of them reached the living room, Celeste pointed down to the shattered teacup and the spilled tea on the floor and handed Kyoko a bucket of cleaning supplies. "You can't be serious. You were the one that made the mess." 

"Yes, but if you would have just drank your tea like a good little detective, it would not be all over the floor now would it?" Kyoko silently cursed herself for her earlier mistake. Today just wasn't her day. "Now....get to work. There is still much more to do." She said taking her seat folding one of her legs over the other. Kyoko didn't even bother protesting this time as she just did what she was told. Celeste was rewarded with nice view of the detective's backside when she crawled around on her knees and began picking up the class. Kyoko fought back a blush as she could feel her dress riding up revealing her underwear in full view to the gambler. She knew Celeste was staring lecherously at her. She could feel it. 

Her suspicions were confirmed when she finished scrubbing the floor and turned to see Celeste staring at her with pure lust in her eyes. "What now?" She asked resuming her standing position attempting to hide her blush. "Move." Celeste demanded. Kyoko didn't say a word as she moved over to the side.

"You did a great job. Better than I expected." She said staring down at the spot Kyoko was cleaning. "Perhaps you deserve a reward for you diligence...Instead of making you dust the entire house...you will only have to clean the first floor for now. Doesn't that sound wonderful?" Kyoko didn't even dignify that with a response She only sat there staring blankly as she could feel herself becoming more annoyed. 

"It appears that I have grown a bit tired and am need of my afternoon nap...When I wake up, I want this whole entire first floor to be spotless. Is that understood? "

"Yeah." Kyoko said dryly. Celeste's smile fell at the detective's nonchalant tone. "And another thing....from now on you will address me as your mistress. Understood?" 

"Yes." Celeste raised a brow at this making Kyoko correct herself. "Yes mistress.." Kyoko spoke unenthusiastically. "Good girl. Now remember what I told you....I want this entire floor cleaned by the time I wake up." She said before ascending up the stairs leaving Kyoko by herself. 

Kyoko scowled thinking about how she allowed herself to be reduced to this. Being forced into cleaning someone else's house. All because she couldn't get over a stupid crush. She knew she should have just never trusted Celeste in the first place. She spent her time cleaning and replaying the events over the past week and wondering why she let it get to this point. Most importantly.....how was she going to get out of this situation?


	7. Cracks in Her Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly NSFW

Kyoko had spent an hour cleaning the rooms on the first floor, but she still wasn't completely done. This spelled bad news for her because Celeste would be down at any moment now. The only thing left for to do was dust the bookshelf in the main room. She wasted no time as she hurried along to get the task done. 

She began carefully removing books from the shelf making a mental note of their exact position. Celeste had not specified whether or not she wanted the books in a specific order, but Kyoko wasn't taking any chances. She hurriedly began dusting the shelf as she listened for any signs of the gambler returning from her nap. Kyoko wasn't sure what would happen if she wasn't done by the time the gambler woke up since Celeste hadn't made it clear, but whatever it was, she didn't want to find out. 

A small sigh of relief escaped from the detective's mouth when she'd finally finished dusting the shelves and there was still no signs of Celeste. She hastily began placing the books back on the shelf in the order she found them in. She picked up the last remaining book, but froze when something thin fell out from between the pages. It looked to be a picture of Celeste when she was in her youth holding the hand of what appeared to be an older man. Presumably her father. The girl in the picture had the same red eyes and short black hair as the gambler. Her skin even had the same shade of paleness so there was no doubt that this was Celeste. It was just a picture, but from looking at it, the girl didn't seem as evil as Celeste was. She looked happier almost had a warm aura surrounding her as opposed to her cold demeanor now. But this was just a child and Celeste was an adult now, so a lot could have happened between then and now. _"But still...how did she come to be the person she is now?"_

The picture itself wasn't the only thing that interested Kyoko. What was written on the picture caught her attention. The words 'Taeko Yasuhiro' were written in what appeared to be red marker on the picture. There were tiny little hearts drawn all over the picture as well. Kyoko studied the picture trying to figure out how all this tied together when suddenly she remembered...When she searched the number on Celeste's business card, 'Taeko Yasuhiro' was the name that came up. _"So does that mean Celeste is....."_ This only made her want to find out more about the gambler, but that would prove to be difficult. Celeste had basically just told her that she didn't trust her. So getting her to willingly open up was probably not an option.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she heard movement from upstairs. She quickly placed the picture back into the book and returned it back to it's rightful place on the shelf. Kyoko straightened herself back up as she waited for Celeste to arrive. "Good evening mistress. You look well rested. I take it you enjoyed your nap?" She said trying to sound as authentic as possible without forcing it. She figured there was no use in trying to fight back right now. Especially given the new information she'd just discovered. Celeste narrowed her eyes at this. "You are being strangely obedient Kyoko. You are not just trying to butter me up are you? Did you do what I asked you to?" Her expression changed to a more serious one as she said this. 

"Yes mistress, I've cleaned every single room on the first floor. Just like you asked me to." Celeste shot one last glance at the detective before gracefully walking out of the room. Was she seriously going to check every room to see if it had been cleaned to her liking? It was becoming more clear to Kyoko that this woman is a nutcase. 

Kyoko felt her blood run cold as another wave of unsettling silence fell upon on them. All she could hear was the faint sound of clicking heels as Celeste went from room to room. It was a sound most people may have found satisfying, but for Kyoko it was almost like torture. The sound fading in and out in a teasing manner. At moments it seemed like she was getting closer, but then the sound would become more distant again. Kyoko at some point wondered if she was doing this on purpose, but she ultimately wrote it off as her overthinking. Her nerves were already bad enough with the amount of questions plaguing her mind. What would Celeste do if she didn't like Kyoko's work? Would she end up like the girl in the pictures? If there's one thing she learned about Celeste in their short time together, it was that the gambler was a stickler for perfection and would not accept anything less. 

The sound of heels clicking combined with the uncertainty of the situation nearly drove the detective mad. She had even considered hiding or even just bolting out the door. Was she really that scared? She had every reason to be. Celeste had all but shown that she's capable of doing some pretty bad things. But was she _really_ capable of murder? Something about this whole situation seemed off. Maybe those stories about her had been true after all. Or maybe.....

The clicking sound had grown closer again except now...Celeste had actually appeared in the room. She had completely ignored the lavender haired woman, not even making eye contact with her as she checked around them room. The same couldn't be said for Kyoko, whose eyes steadily followed the gambler's every movement. Her body stiffened as she could no longer track Celeste in her direct line of sight as the she moved behind her to the bookshelf. Kyoko couldn't see her, but she could still feel her presence. Would she notice anything out of order? Would she know about Kyoko's prying? It's not like it had been done on purpose. The picture fell out of the book when she was cleaning. But that excuse wouldn't fly with Celeste...she knew it wouldn't. 

After a couple of minutes, Celeste finished checking and finally spoke after what felt like an eternity of silence. "Hm..you did very well. I did not expect this from someone like you." Despite the backhanded compliment, Kyoko felt a wave relief wash over her and released a breath that she didn't even notice she was holding. "However..." Kyoko froze in anticipation for whatever was to come. "All this walking around has made me incredibly thirsty. Please...go into the kitchen and make me some tea." She said slightly shooing Kyoko away to the kitchen.

"Seriously? You just left the kitchen. Why didn't you just make it while you were in there?" Kyoko shot back. "Just hurry the fuck up and go get my tea!" Celeste scolded, her temper flaring up as her accent faltered once again. Kyoko wanted to lecture her about the importance of politeness, but she soon remembered the situation she was in and knew it was a battle that she could not win. She sighed in defeat reminding herself of this. "Yes mistress." She said before turning to leave for the kitchen. Kyoko could feel the anger boiling up inside her at Celeste treating her like some kind of domesticated animal. The least she could do was be nice about it.

She never specified what kind of tea she wanted, but she knew Celeste had a preference for Royal Milk tea. It's the kind she always ordered when they went out before. So she decided to make that. But...there was only one problem with that....she wasn't sure how to prepare this kind of tea the way Celeste liked it. She knew how impatient Celeste could get, so she decided not to linger for too long. She began preparing the drink as best she could. 

"It took you a long time." Celeste said nonchalantly as Kyoko reentered the room. "My apologies mistress. I hope the tea is to your liking." Kyoko responded handing her the saucer with teacup sitting on top of it. 

"Thank you. I hope for your sake it is too." She flashed another fake smile at the detective before taking a sip. Kyoko watched her closely trying to gauge her reaction. She had not been experienced in making this kind of tea, so this was nerve racking for her. Celeste pulled the cup away her face when she finished drinking. She stared blankly in front her not even looking at Kyoko. 

"Foolish." The gambler said in a sharp harsh tone. Kyoko's eyebrows furrowed as she wasn't sure what to say or what to do. There was a moment of silence and Kyoko couldn't properly read the gambler's facial expression due to her poker face. It was almost like standing trial and waiting to hear the verdict. _"Does that mean she didn't like it?"_ Kyoko's thoughts were once again interrupted by the sound of glass shattering against the ground. _"Well that answers that question..."_

"Go make it again....And you better do it right this time. " Celeste said menacingly. Kyoko didn't say anything as she silently made her way back to the kitchen. Luckily for her, she was quick learner and it didn't take long for her perfect making the gambler's preferred tea.

Celeste sighed in delight as she took sip from the cup. "This is much better." Kyoko felt relieved at this, but that relief didn't last long. "Now...clean up your mess." Kyoko had to resit the strong urge to roll her eyes at this out of fear of making Celeste upset again. "Yes mistress. I'll get right to it." She said dryly. 

Kyoko was once again on her knees picking up pieces of glass and scrubbing the floor as the other woman watched her closely. Celeste smirked when she noticed something about the detective as she cleaned. She could just barely make out a small damp spot in Kyoko's underwear. _"She appears to be enjoying this."_ She thought as an idea found its way into her head as she wanted to confirm her suspicions. She took her stocking clad foot and teasingly dragged it over the wet spot in Kyoko's underwear eliciting a sharp gasp of pleasure and surprise. 

"Oh. So you are enjoying this!" Celeste said chuckling in amusement. "And you call me a pervert...I always knew you wanted me, but I did not know you were this naughty Kyoko." Celeste said as she continued rubbing the detective through her panties eliciting soft moans and whimpers from her. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she was impressed with Kyoko's ability to keep cleaning despite the pleasure being given. She could feel her own excitement building up in between her legs, but she'd attend to her own needs later on. Right now she was having too much fun making Kyoko squirm under her control. 

Meanwhile Kyoko was trying her hardest not lose her composure right then and there. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip in an effort to stop the moans from escaping her mouth. Her grip on the sponge tightened as she could feel Celeste quicken her movements. _"I need to keep going. If I stop, she'll punish me. But it feels so..."_ Kyoko thought as she had to desperately prevent herself from crying out. She could feel herself getting close. She felt the gambler apply more pressure to her clit. _"Ohmygod.._ " She could feel the pressure building and was sure this would push her over the edge, but suddenly..everything stopped. "No.." She found herself unconsciously whining under her breath. 

"Once again, you have done an excellent job with your cleaning Kyoko." 

"I......T-Thank you mistress." Kyoko said breathlessly.

"Now...go take a shower and get started on dinner. I am sure you must be starving by now." She said smiling sweetly at the detective. Kyoko didn't say anything and just stood there staring blankly at Celeste. Was she serious? How long was she planning on keeping up this charade? Regardless, she was pretty hungry since she had not had anything to eat since this morning.

And at that moment reality started to set for the detective as she now realized she'd been reduced to some kind of house wife/slave. And Kyoko Kirigiri was not the kind of woman to stand around and wait for orders. She felt herself becoming angry again. Or maybe she was just sexually frustrated from not being allowed a release just now. Either way, this whole thing was starting to annoy her. 

Celeste raised a brow. "Is there something wrong dear?" Honestly there was a lot wrong. Kyoko wanted to give Celeste an ear full and remind her who she was. That's what she wanted to do, but instead she just obeyed her orders. It was too much of a risky move to rebel right now. "No mistress. I'll get right to it." She said bitterly, but Celeste didn't seem notice or maybe she just didn't care.

Without uttering another word, Kyoko left the room to go shower. She sighed in frustration when she realized she'd have to go through the process of removing her uniform and putting it back on once she was done. As much as it frustrated her, she knew it wasn't smart to keep Celeste waiting. She began the lengthy process of removing the uniform and started the shower. 

Once she was done showering, she returned to the room to find the gambler sitting with her legs crossed with her face in a book. She stood there for a second observing the woman in front her. It was more like admiring than observing, but Kyoko would never admit that. She really despised how attracted to her she was despite all she had put her through. Not only that, but a detective being attracted to a criminal was just utterly unprofessional. But still....it felt right somehow......Celeste claims she hates her and doesn't reciprocate her feelings, but is that really the truth? Kyoko shook her head. No...it shouldn't matter if it's the truth or not. She's a bad person that needs to be put behind bars. 

"It's rude to stare Kyoko.....or did you forget what you were supposed to be doing?" Celeste asked in a condescending tone breaking Kyoko from her thoughts. "I apologize mistress. I'll go start dinner now." She said tearing her eyes away from the gambler. 

* * *

Kyoko wasn't much of a cook, so she decided to just go with something simple like soup, but she knew she needed to do this perfectly or else Celeste would punish her.

She was surprised Celeste gestured for her to take the seat across from hers. "You want me sit at the table with you?" Kyoko was so shocked by this that she forgot to address Celeste in the proper manner causing the gambler to raise a brow at her. "Mistress." Kyoko corrected herself. 

"Why of course...I am not going to make you eat out of a dog bowl...unless you are into that sort of thing." She said smirking at the detective. "N-No." "Then please, sit down." She said once again gesturing towards the seat across from her. Kyoko nodded and took her seat across from Celeste. 

"You spent hours cooking and this is what you came up with?" Celeste scowled losing her accent as she looked over at Kyoko with a look of disgust. Kyoko was expecting her to throw the bowl of soup on the floor like she had done the tea earlier. Instead, she remained calm continued eating despite the look of discontent on her face. Kyoko just shrugged it off, but it still felt weird sitting there with Celeste eating dinner. It almost felt like they were a real couple....except they weren't? Kyoko didn't mind either way. She didn't feel like it was the right time to question things anyways. 

"It is getting late..perhaps we should call it a night." 

"Yes mistress. Do you still have my clothes from earlier?" Kyoko asked as she began picking up the dishes. 

"Yes, but why would you need them?" 

"I can't go out dressed like this mistress."

"You would if I asked you to." Celeste joked. Given the circumstances, Kyoko knew she wasn't entirely wrong, but still... the whole thing was a bit too much for her. "But who said you were going anywhere? I expect you in my bedroom once those dishes are cleaned. Understood?" Kyoko was surprised at what she just heard. _"Why does she want me in her bedroom?"_ Her face flushed when she thought about what it could mean. "Yes mistress." She finally spoke. "Good. Now hurry along." She said as she exited the room leaving Kyoko to her task. 

She wasn't sure if she should be worried by this. Celeste had shown how crazy she could be and she wasn't sure what Celeste had planned for her once she reached the bedroom. By the time Kyoko had finished cleaning everything, Celeste had changed into her usual nightwear. Which was a lacy black gown. "Done already?" Celeste teased. "Yes mistress." Kyoko responded staring at her. Her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't be so hesitant, but considering what she knew, this was probably a bad idea. No..it _is_ a bad idea.

Celeste lightly patted next to her on the bed signaling for the detective to join her. "Before you join me, you need to remove your clothing, but be careful. I do not want to spend an entire day trying to remove the wrinkles from your uniform." She said this as if it was no big deal. As if she hadn't just basically asked Kyoko to strip and get in bed with her. And as if she weren't basically blackmailing her. Kyoko was taken aback by the sudden request. She wasn't exactly appose to the idea, but she didn't have anything on under her uniform besides her underwear. Which made things a little more awkward. 

She nodded slightly in the direction of the gambler whose eyes bore a hole into her soul. She wasn't disturbed by this, but it did make her a little bit nervous. But she noticed something....The look in her eyes was different this time around. Piercing red orbs normally filled with mischief were now calm and filled with something that the detective had never seen before. That look....Could it perhaps be....? She was smiling, but Kyoko could almost see a uncertainty in the gambler's expression. It was almost like she was silently pleading with her. Telling her how bad she wanted to be next to her...She wrote this off as her overthinking again. Celeste had already made it clear how she felt about her.

Kyoko was probably more eager than what she would have liked to admit, but she didn't let that get in the way. She began slowly removing her uniform being careful not wrinkle it as she remembered Celeste's words from a few minutes ago. The heat in her cheeks started to rise significantly once the dress was completely off. Taking a seat at the very edge of the bed away from Celeste, she began removing her heels. She let a small sigh of relief at finally being to free her feet from the uncomfortable shoes. Lastly, she began slowly removing the knee highs being care no to rip the delicate fabric. 

She rose from the bed trying not to think about Celeste's piercing gaze on her backside. She hung the outfit up and turned back to the gambler's crimson red orbs had still not shifted their gaze. The rest of Celeste was beautiful, but there was just something about those eyes.....it was all Kyoko could focus on. "As much as I enjoy the sight of your partial nudity, I do think it would be much better if you joined me already." Celeste said breaking Kyoko out of her trance. 

Kyoko didn't say anything, she just began slowly approaching the bed again. She swallowed and carefully lowered herself onto the bed. "You know...Not too many people would willingly share a bed with someone they claim to hate." Kyoko thought them eating dinner together was strange enough, but this was just too much. She couldn't let it go. "I do hate you...a lot, but I also.....Actually no.....let us get some sleep. Shall we?" She said with a giggle. Kyoko wanted to ask her what she meant, but she knew Celeste would just refuse to talk about it. Celeste had not even moved or tried to get closer to the detective. She stayed on her side of the bed, only moving to turn her back towards Kyoko, which she thought was strange, but she decided not to question it. "By the way...I expect you to be up and dressed by the time I wake up." As much as she wanted to protest, she knew her efforts would be futile, so she just stayed silent.

Kyoko was starting to drift off when suddenly, she felt an arm snake its way around her torso and a warm body pressed up against her back. Was she....cuddling her? Kyoko felt the heat rising in her her cheeks at the extra contact. She wasn't sure how to react to this and wondered if Celeste had done this on purpose or if it was just out of force of habit. As much as it confused her, she decided she needed to sleep as she knew she had to be up early in the morning. She got as comfortable as she could without disturbing Celeste and drifted off to sleep.


	8. Pleasure and Despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: NSFW

So...it really hadn't been a dream huh? Here she was waking up in a bed that didn't belong to her....laying next to someone. No....not just anyone...a criminal. Despite how charming she was at times, she was still a criminal that needed to be brought to justice, but that would have to wait for now since Kyoko knew so little about the situation. She was basically being held hostage, but could she really call it that? She could literally just leave right now. Celeste had not forced her to do anything the whole time she's been here. And of course there was her own feelings towards the gambler that she couldn't ignore. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't have been so bad, but unfortunately for Kyoko, none of this could be considered normal. 

With a sigh, Kyoko reluctantly pulled herself out of bed. She checked to see if Celeste was still asleep and sure enough, the gambler was still there sleeping peacefully. She must have moved back to her side of the bed at some point during the night. Kyoko was still tired and wanted so badly to climb back in bed, but she knew she shouldn't defy the gambler's orders. She decided to take a quick shower and get started on the lengthy process of putting her uniform back on. 

Kyoko didn't even know what she was supposed to be doing or why Celeste wanted her up so early. Had she expected her to prepare breakfast? Again Kyoko wasn't a great cook. What did she even like to eat? Maybe she should just make her favorite tea. She decided it would be best if she held off on breakfast until Celeste woke up.

She figured she'd have a look around and try to do some real investigating while Celeste was still asleep. Not being tasked with cleaning would allow her to do a more thorough investigation this time around. Looking around upstairs would be too risky especially considering she was likely on borrowed time. So she limited her search to just the first floor for now. She began checking the drawers and closets in the guest room, but unfortunately she found nothing. Not like it wasn't expected. Celeste would not be that careless to leave clues about herself out in the open. 

She had checked everything, including the kitchen and bathroom, but much to her disappointment, she found nothing. She wanted to give up, but her detective instincts kept telling her she was missing something...but what? Suddenly...A light bulb went on in her head as she remembered one place she forgot to check. "The closet." Kyoko hurried over to the closet where she first changed into her uniform to find that her clothes were still there, neatly folded in the corner. As bad as she wanted to change back into her regular clothes, that wasn't the reason she wanted to find them. There was a certain item hidden within the pocket of her blazer that she prayed to the gods was still there. And sure enough, they were...She pulled out the pair of handcuffs she had always carried around with her. 

A triumphant smile made its way on to her face. This was probably her only ticket out of this situation. But unfortunately for her, the skimpy outfit would prove to be too difficult in hiding the cuffs in her person. She reluctantly placed them back into her blazer pocket and neatly folded the clothes so that they were exactly how she left them and made her way back into the main room. Celeste hadn't come down yet, which left Kyoko wondering if she should carry out her plan right now. There was a possibility that Celeste was already up, so she just decided to stay put for now. It hadn't seem like Celeste was planning to kill her, so there was no need to rush. It was crucial that she did this perfectly because it was the only thing she could think of that might help her and Celeste finding out about said plan would spell bad news for her. She went over the details of her plan in her head while she prepared tea for Celeste. 

"Good morning mistress. I've prepared some tea for you this morning. I hope that's okay." She said holding out a cup of tea and staring at Celeste with her usual neutral expression. She would continue to go with the flow of things until she got the opportunity to carry out her plan. There was no need to do anything reckless at the moment. Celeste raised a brow at this. "You are not trying to poison me are you dear?" 

"No mistress. I would never do anything like that." She really wanted to respond with a snarly remark about how she wasn't a murderer like her, but she refrained from doing so. Although...Kyoko could very well have poisoned her if she wanted to...but was she really that desperate? Probably not. But that brought up another question. Kyoko wondered why Celeste trusted her to cook for her and make her tea if she didn't trust her like she claimed? Weird. 

Celeste chuckled and took a small sip from the cup. "I have to say...your tea making skills have become much better." She said this in such a condescending way that Kyoko couldn't understand if it was suppose to be a compliment or not. At least she hadn't smashed the cup on the floor this time, so maybe that meant she did a good job. "Hm. Maybe you deserve a reward later on. After all, you have been exceptionally obedient lately." Kyoko didn't think much of this since the reward was probably something like only having to only clean two rooms instead of all of them. "But for now, prep yourself as we are expecting some guests later on and I want you to be on your best behavior. Understood?" 

"Yes mistress." Kyoko spoke bitterly. She didn't think it was possible for her to become even more disappointed, but that was quickly proven wrong when Celeste mentioned that she'd be having guest over. She wanted to ask her if she had to wear this uniform while her guests were here, but she already knew the answer to that. She knew what kind of person Celeste was and that she was not above humiliating her in front others. All this did was make her even more anxious to carry out her plan and get out of there. Kyoko swore when all of this was over, she'd make her pay for everything she has put her through. 

Celeste took her usual seat and began reading from the same book she had always read from. Kyoko had wondered if this was how she always spent her days or if she was just doing this to spite her. It's not like she had any form entertainment herself. The only thing there was for her to do was think to herself or stare at Celeste. Her feet ached from being on them all day and she was still tired from the lack of rest she had received, but she knew Celeste wouldn't cut her any slack. She needed something to take her mind off this uncomfortable feeling. 

Kyoko started looking around at her surroundings, observing the room closely. She traced the red shag rug that covered up most of the floor until her eyes landed upon Celeste. She observed her closely, trying to make out the smallest details. Her eyes traveled up from the red high heels she always wore and traced up her stocking clad legs. She had surprisingly nice toned legs, but she didn't seem like the type to work out. Her eyes then traveled upwards toward her torso, but there wasn't much to look at there since she always wore lose fitting clothing. For someone so rotten, she dressed rather modestly. Kyoko had wondered if there was a reason behind this or if it was just her preferred style of dress. 

Then there was her face. The signature poker face was accompanied by concentrating red eyes that matched the color of her heels and the shag rug. The way her red eyes and black hair contrasted her pale skin was almost godlike. She had the face of an angel, but that was just on the outside. On the inside she was pure evil, but that didn't stop the unsuspecting detective from falling for her. Kyoko continued observing her as she sat there reading, paying close attention to every move she made. She'd notice how every time Celeste took a sip of her tea, she'd slightly lick her lips tasting the lingering flavor of the tea. It was a subtle motion that Kyoko found attractive. Most people wouldn't have noticed it, but Kyoko payed more attention to detail than the average person. 

Celeste's eyes shifted from the book up to Kyoko's intense gaze. "You are staring quite a lot." She said looking at Kyoko with a raised brow. "Was I? My apologies mistress." Kyoko couldn't tell if Celeste was annoyed by this or if she had found it amusing. Celeste sighed. "I suppose it can not be helped coming from _you._ " She said as her mouth curved into a smirk. If there was one thing Celeste liked to do, it was tease her and Kyoko could do nothing, but endure it. 

The sound of the doorbell rang throughout the living room. "I'll get it. You just stand there and try to look...presentable." Celeste said as she exited the room ignoring the detective's glare on her. Kyoko was never the type to get angry and lose her patience, but right now she struggling not to lose her composure. She'd dealt with a lot of annoying criminals throughout her time as a detective, but none of them had ever managed to piss her off as much as Celeste did. 

Her eyes widened in shock once Celeste returned with her guests, and it was none other than Junko Enoshima and her older twin sister Mukuro Ikusaba. The two of them had been causing her and the police force trouble for a while now. Sabotaging cases and making things harder for the them just because Junko was 'bored.' Junko was obviously the mastermind behind of all it, while her sister was just there for intimidation. Mukuro was quiet and composed like herself, but many feared her due to her amazing combat skills. The twins were never punished for their wrong doings because of the pettiness of the crimes and Junko's status as one of the most famous fashionistas in Japan. This frustrated Kyoko to no end. 

Honestly, having to deal with Celeste was enough, but also having to deal with Junko and Mukuro made this seem like a nightmare she hoped she'd wake from soon. Junko looked over at a Kyoko and had barely been able to contain her laughter. "Who would've guessed that such a high class detective would be into some kinky shit like this." She said through laughter. Kyoko grit her teeth and glared at the fashionista ready to give her a piece of her mind. Celeste's faux smile fell when she noticed this. "Behave yourself Kyoko." She said firmly. Kyoko wanted to tell her to shut up, but she knew that doing so would most likely end bad for her. 

"Now Junko, I know that she is nice to look at, but please stay focused...Did you bring me what I asked for?" 

"Yep! It should be right he-" She began reaching in her pocket for something, but she was interrupted by Mukuro's protest. "Junko I really don't think that you should be doing this." It was surprising to hear Mukuro speak up against Junko for once. Kyoko didn't care much for Mukuro even though she hated her less than her sister. She knew that Mukuro only did whatever Junko told her for some odd reason. But she was still a troublemaker and Kyoko wouldn't hesitate throw her in jail with her sister. 

"Pipe down ugly!" Junko snapped back at her sister. The only reaction Mukuro gave was a small sigh. It was almost like she was use to this kind of treatment from her sister. Kyoko honestly felt kinda bad for her, she even looked almost as uncomfortable as she was. "Sorry about that...now where were we.." She pulled a folded up piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Celeste, who happily accepted it. She was curious as to what was going and what was on that piece of paper Junko gave Celeste. With how uncomfortable Mukuro looks right now, it had to have been something really important. 

"Ah yes..I have been waiting for this." Celeste said tucking the folded up piece of paper away in her blazer. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you two...especially you Junko." She said smiling mischievously. Kyoko narrowed her eyes in suspicion. _"What did she mean by that?"_ She looked over to Mukuro who was just as confused as she was. Perhaps some kind of inside joke? She shrugged it off, deciding that it was probably not important. At this point, she was just ready for them to leave. Having to wear a maid uniform was bad enough, but having other people see her like this was horrifying.

"Careful Celeste. I think your play thing might be a little jealous." Kyoko could feel her cheeks flush at Junko's statement. She had no reason to be jealous. It wasn't like she and Celeste were dating. "Oh don't mind her, she's just a tad bit frustrated. That's all." Celeste responded causing Junko to let out another spurt of laughter. Kyoko swore that one day she would arrest Junko and make her pay for all of her wrong doings, but right now Celeste was her number one priority. Celeste lead the twins out of the room towards the exit while Kyoko was left there to ponder her thoughts. 

Celeste returned to the room ignoring Kyoko's intense glare on her. She sat back down in her chair and resumed her reading without even acknowledging her. This had become a common trope between the two of them. Celeste would just ignore her throughout most of the day unless she wanted something. She never said so out loud, but Kyoko thought it was annoying and disrespectful. She was never the type to be pressed for conversation, but to just be treated like some kind of object made her feel so insignificant. Why have her be here if she's just going to be ignored? It was quite boring and a waste of her time. Luckily for her, this would all be over soon......hopefully. 

* * *

Night time had come, and once again, Celeste had Kyoko prepare dinner for them both and eat with her. It seemed like she was a completely different person now...almost timid compared to how she usually was. Of course, she tried her hardest to hide this with her usual poker face, but Kyoko could detect the slightest crack in her mask. She continued to not make eye contact with her, but it was not in the condescending way that usually did when she was ignoring her, but it seemed like it was done out of shyness? 

"Well then....I suppose I should get ready for bed. After all, a lady needs her beauty rest." Celeste spoke smiling sweetly, but Kyoko could tell it was forced. "I expect you upstairs when you are done cleaning up." She gracefully rose from her seat and disappeared from the room without even giving Kyoko a chance to respond. 

Kyoko couldn't help but feel like something was off. Why had Celeste seemed so somber just now? Did it have something to do with that meeting between her and the twins earlier? "Is what I'm about to do...right? Should I still go through with it?" Kyoko muttered to herself as she washed the dishes. She shook her head at this. Kyoko decided she'd already let her feelings control too much up until this point. As much as she liked Celeste, she knew that the investigation would never move forward if they continued this charade. 

She made her way upstairs to Celeste's bedroom. When she got there, Celeste was already in bed staring directly at her with a small smile plastered upon her face...except this one was genuine. Kyoko's heart was beating so fast that she thought she might pass out. She carefully removed her uniform and crawled into bed next to Celeste. She could feel the gambler wrap her arms around her and pull her in closer. Her whole entire body stiffened when she felt her plant soft kisses around her neck and shoulder. Celeste must have noticed this and paused her actions. "Is there something wrong?" 

"No, it's just...." 

She was cut off by Celeste suddenly straddling her. She couldn't even finish her sentence and was left speechless by this. _"What is happening right now?"_ "Is this not what you wanted this whole time?" Kyoko knew she should have just told her no, but something in her mind wouldn't let her. She knew she would regret this later on, but at that moment....it just felt right. "I do...I just didn't expect it to happen like this.." Yes, she did want this, but it was such a terrible idea. God..it was such a terrible idea. She'd let things go too far. Yet...she had no real desire to stop them. "Do you want me to stop?" And there it was...a chance to end this madness. To let Celeste know she wasn't going to be swayed by intimacy. That's what her conscious kept telling her to do...but that didn't happen. Instead, she just gave into her own desires.."No..."

"You don't sound too sure.." Celeste said upon noticing the uncertainty in her voice and expression. Her face had shown the upmost concern. Which was a surprise to Kyoko considering everything the gambler had put her through. " _I guess even she has a limit.."_ But now wasn't the time to think about that...she only wanted one thing....

"Please..." She stared up at the gambler with pleading eyes hoping that she'd been convincing enough to make Celeste continue her actions. 

"As you wish." She said before leaning down to kiss the detective. Kyoko could practically feel herself melting into the kiss. Her memory and vision became cloudy and she couldn't even remember why she was here nor did she care. All she wanted to do was feel more of Celeste and she got her wish when the gambler drove her tongue into her mouth unexpectedly, but she didn't fight it. She just wanted more....Their kisses grew hotter and more aggressive as she felt the gambler's surprisingly warm hands roam her body going until they found the clasp of her bra.

She removed the small piece of clothing tossing it to the side and began softly raking her long black nails along the detective's body careful not to draw blood or cause pain. The sensation was new to Kyoko. It felt weird..not in a bad way, but in a way that she found oddly satisfying. She leaned down and planted more kisses on the detective's smooth skin. Those soft kisses soon turned into possessive biting and sucking causing her to moan out.

Her lips traveled further down until they came into contact with soft flesh. She paused for a second gauging Kyoko's reaction, whose face was fully flushed as stared down at her. She allowed her tongue to slowly swivel around the now hardened flesh. Kyoko's moans grew louder once she felt the gambler's lips wrap around the sensitive bud as she gently sucked, occasionally scrapping her teeth across it. She moved to the unattended mound flicking her tongue back in forth in the most teasing manner was beginning to drive the detective mad. Celeste smirked to herself upon noticing this and decided she'd had enough teasing for now.

She trailed soft kisses down her body stopping once she reached the waistband of Kyoko's panties. Celeste wasted no time snaking her fingers beneath the elastic material. She looked up at Kyoko for approval, who just nodded at her in response. She began slowly sliding her panties down leaving soft kisses on her legs along the way. Kyoko felt her entire body heat up now that she was fully nude and could feel the gambler's stare on on her newly exposed body. She let out a gasp when she felt Celeste's soft lips brush against her lower lips. "Celes..."

After a couple of experimental licks, she ran her tongue through the detective's slit purposely avoiding the nub that would drive her crazy. Her tongue moved so agonizingly slow. Kyoko wanted so badly to tell her to move faster, but she knew she shouldn't try her luck here. Instead, she let out a desperate needy whine hoping that Celeste would get the message. "Impatient are we?" Celeste teased. Even with her teasing, her voice was more sultry than usual. It was different from the condescending tone she normally used when talking to her. 

" _~Yes..~_ " She moaned out when she felt Celeste pick up her pace lapping at her folds occasionally grazing her tongue against her clit. "Tell me when you're close." Celeste said in a low almost aggressive tone sending a shiver up Kyoko's spine. Due to the amount of pleasure she was receiving, Kyoko could only respond with a slight nod as she bit down on her bottom lip. Celeste continued to use the tip of her tongue to stimulate her clit causing her squirm and whimper even more. Her moans became louder and more frequent which signaled that she was approaching her orgasm.

Celeste could feel her getting close, but she wanted her to hear those words spoken from the detective's own mouth. "I'm close mistress." Kyoko manage to say through labored breathing. "Yes. that's it." She sank her teeth into detective's thigh earning her sharp high pitched moan. It was a beautiful sight for the gambler. The normally stoic detective griping the the sheets with her back slightly arched, panting and moaning in pleasure was a sight that not many people were lucky enough to experience. Soon enough, Kyoko found herself writhing and squirming as she finally got her long awaited release. Celeste continued licking her down allowing Kyoko to ride out her orgasm. 

She got up from between Kyoko's legs wiping the fluids from her chin before returning to her place on the bed. Kyoko laid there, lightly panting with her face still flushed as she tried to calm down from her orgasm. Kyoko could feel the gambler wrap her arms around her and pull her in closer. "I hope that my services did not go unappreciated?" She asked teasingly. "No...not at all. Thank you mistress." "Good girl." She said through a giggle planting a soft kiss on her shoulder. "Now, let us get some rest shall we?" Kyoko nodded and began to make herself comfortable. 

Once she had completely calmed down, Kyoko had time to process what was going on. With her thoughts no longer driven by her sexual desires, she could clearly see how messed up this was. She had basically just been intimate with a criminal and there was no coming back from that. The damage had already been done. Not only that, this woman had claimed to hate her and was blackmailing her. Yet, she willingly slept with her like an idiot. Even when she manages to turn her in, she'll probably just tell everyone they slept together and that'll be the end of her career. What would her coworkers think of this? More importantly, how would her grandfather react to this? He'd spent all this time training her to be a detective and she went and slept with a criminal..

No..now isn't the time to be overthinking and doubting herself. She was done acting scared. She was one of the best detectives in the country and had no reason to be scared. There was only one thing she could do at this point....Even if she didn't want to, she needed to carry out her plan and arrest Celeste. Her methods of doing so would probably be considered harsh, but it has to be done. She had let her feelings control too much of this situation and it was time put an end to this charade once and for all. She placed a soft kiss on the gambler's cheek before moving back to her side of the bed. 

"I'm sorry Celes.." 


	9. Enough is Enough!

The sunlight came bursting into the room from outside the window in an almost abrasive manner. Under normal circumstances, Kyoko would consider this comforting. She usually appreciated scenery like this every once in a while. But unfortunately for her, nothing about this was soothing to her nerves. But now isn't the time to think about that...she had a job that needed to be fulfilled. 

Without any more hesitation she got up from the bed to see Celeste once again, still asleep on her side of the bed. Thoughts of their time together started replaying in her head. From their first 'date' and first kiss to when she decided to start blackmailing her and....last night. How could she forget about that? It was a bittersweet moment for her. Up until now, she'd harvested strong feelings for the gambler and being able to share a moment like that with her was more than what she could have asked for. She'd never had anybody treat her with such care and tenderness. it was in a way that she could only dream of....but of course like most dreams, it was too good to be true. Celeste is a good lover, but the truth is...she doesn't really care about her and this was just another form of manipulation. 

She shook her head trying clear her mind of any negative thoughts. She quickly left to go shower and didn't even bother with that god awful uniform. 

Quickly and quietly making her way downstairs. She wasted no time making her way over to the closet where her normal clothes were. She dressed herself as best as she could with the limited amount of time she had. She removed the cuffs from her pocket and felt around in her other pocket for the key. "There it is..." She said using the key to fiddle around with the lock to the cuffs. A sigh a relief escaped her mouth upon hearing the satisfying clicking noise when the handcuffs were unlocked. She let out another sigh. "Well...here goes the hard part." She tucked the handcuffs back into her pocket and made her way upstairs to Celeste's bedroom.

When she got there, Celeste was still sleeping soundly. She let out a nervous sigh and made her way over to the bed. She quietly removed the handcuffs from her pocket and grabbed onto to the gambler's wrist, careful not to wake her. 

She wasn't sure if it was the sound of the handcuffs being locked or if it was the fact that she holding on to her wrist, but Celeste's eyes slowly fluttered open. "K-Kyoko?" She spoke looking up at the detective in confusion, her voice devoid of her usual accent. Kyoko's heart skipped a beat as she felt a wave of guilt overcome her, but it was too late...the deed had already been done. There was a moment of awkward silence betweem the two of them as they stared at each other. Kyoko's facial expression remained stoic, but if one looked close enough, they could see the hurt in her eyes. She didn't want to do this, but it had to be done. 

The moment of surprise didn't last long as Celeste let out a chuckle. "I suppose I should have expected this from you detective. I lie about many things...but I wasn't lying when I said you were smart. Now....if you will." Her usual accent had returned as she willingly and gracefully stuck out her other arm so that Kyoko could properly cuff her. The gesture was made in a way that almost seemed romantic, but Kyoko ignored this feeling and proceeded with the task. She didn't want to do this, but the law is the law and allowing a criminal to roam free because you have feelings for them is just simply too unprofessional for someone like her. " _Why couldn't things have just been different between us?"_ She thought to herself as she led the gambler out of the bedroom. 

The Queen of liars had been caught. The one woman that struck so much fear into the hearts of many, was now being dragged around in handcuffs like some kind of escaped zoo animal. And of course, this came at the hands of none other than Kyoko Kirigiri. "So I have finally been bested? Such a shame. I knew my demise would come at the hands of you. I knew from the moment I first saw you. I suppose that it is just the fate of my family name. " She rambled on as Kyoko carefully led her down the stairs. 

Kyoko tried her best to ignore her, but something she said caught her attention. "What do you mean it's just the fate of your family name?" "It does not matter." Celeste said firmly. She seemed to really not wanna talk about it, so Kyoko just decided to drop it. Right now, she needed to focus on more important things. "Not to whine, but you are not going to make me walk the streets in this attire are you?" Kyoko had to keep herself from smirking. It would be the perfect revenge for that stunt she pulled yesterday, but now wasn't the time for that.

"No, you're not going to jail...Not yet at least. You still have your rights...even if you are a sadist. I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself." She said leading Celeste into the dinning room. Once Celeste was properly seated, she took her seat across from her and stared at her expectantly. It was like deja vu all over again. She briefly thought back to the very first time they went out together. How they just stared intensively into each other's eyes....except this time, things were a lot more serious. "Well?" Celeste stayed silent as her crimson red eyes stared back at Kyoko with an unsettling calm gaze. "Look, I can't make you talk, but I'm sure you'd rather talk to me than officers down at the police station. I'm being a lot nicer than I have to you know." 

Celeste let out an irritated sigh. "I suppose I've dragged this on long enough....the truth is..I have not been involved in any illegal gambling since I was a teenager. I have nothing to do with whatever is going on now." 

"How do I know you're not lying?" Although Celeste seemed sincere, Kyoko could tell that she was still hiding something from her. "Because I'm a high-roller. Underground gambling is much too dangerous for someone like myself. There would be too big of a target on my back in that kind of setting." The excuse didn't sound like a good one, but she knew Celeste had a point. "You say that, but you seem to have quite a few connections with some dangerous people. Wouldn't they just be able to protect you from any potential danger?"

"I do not have any any connections with any dangerous people. It is all just lies I use to protect myself. There are people out there that want to hurt me because I win so much." Kyoko almost felt sorry for her. Celeste was clearly not someone who was capable of physically defending herself, so coming up with lies to intimidate others was right up her alley. "So willingly putting myself in harms way is not ideal. I may be a habitual risk taker, but I am not stupid or reckless. Even _I_ know when to stay away from certain situations." Celeste continued. 

She seemed to be telling the truth, but still...something didn't seem right. "You're not in the clear yet. You claim to be weak and have no affiliation with anyone dangerous, but you still managed to kidnap and murder someone. I suggest you start telling the truth because you're not getting out of those cuffs until your name is cleared." Kyoko knew that there was still something Celeste wasn't telling her. And the only way for her to unravel all of these mysteries, was to beat Celeste at her own game.

Celeste eyes seemed to widen in shock as if she hadn't expected Kyoko to ask her about this. _"Noted"_ Kyoko thought to herself upon noticing the look shock spread across her face. "I did not kidnap or murder anyone. How would someone like me be capable of that sort of thing?" 

"Don't act dumb. You confessed to me the other day. You even showed me the pictures you were using to blackmail me and admitted that it was you texting me before, And considering what you've put me through these past couple of days, I'd say you are more than capable of that sort of thing. So I wanna know...where is she?" 

"Like I said...I did not kidnap or murder anyone." 

"If you want me to release you, you're gonna have to explain that to me in full detail. And don't worry, we've got an infinite amount of time." Kyoko was feeling so many emotions at the moment. There was a small glimmer of hope inside of her that hoped Celeste was being truthful. But that wouldn't be much better. All it would mean is that Celeste played with her feelings and manipulated her for no reason. But it's too early to think about that right now, she still needs Celeste to explain everything. 

"Very well...To be honest, I already knew all about you and how you were suppose to be investigating me. So, while you were at the casino with me, Junko and Mukuro pick the lock to your apartment." _"Of course those two were involved in this."_ Kyoko was so annoyed that she felt like just getting up walking out leaving Celeste handcuffed. But she knew she needed to stay here and listen to what Celeste was saying. "Once inside they set up the fake murder scene using makeup and a couple of other aesthetics. This is were I came in. They sent me the pictures they took and I used those to blackmail you into being my servant. Is that good enough for you?" 

"Just to be clear...You pretended to not know about me investigating you so that those two could break into my home and set up a fake murder scene in which you used to blackmail me? I'm going to need proof of that..."

"I can provide you with that, but not while I am handcuffed."

"No. I already told you that you're not getting out of those cuffs until your name is cleared and right now, you still look suspicious." It made sense that Junko and Mukuro were her accomplices considering all they've done, but she still needed more proof. "Just tell me what it is." She said firmly. Celeste let out another sigh. "Very well....It would require you to check the bookcase in the main room for the photos." Kyoko raised an eyebrow at this. "You can't be trusted on your own, so I'm not leaving you here by yourself." She stood up walking around the table to where Celeste was seated. "What are you-ow!" Kyoko roughly grabbed her by her arm and dragged her from her seat. She did not intend to hurt her, but right now, she was too angry to care about the gambler's pained protests. 

She lead Celeste to through the hallway and to the main room. "You do not have to be so rough. You could have just kindly asked me to follow you." Celeste spoke trying to free herself from the detective's grasp. "And you could have just not manipulated me and tried to frame me for murder, but here we are." Kyoko shot back. "But now's not the time for that...show me what you were talking about." She said dragging Celeste over to the book case causing the gambler to grow even more frustrated. "Let go of me dammit!" Celeste's angry shrill voice brought Kyoko to attention and she soon released her grip. 

Celeste cleared her throat before returning back to her usual self. "Now then...Do you see that black book there? Take it down." Kyoko looked at her disapprovingly, but did as she was told and grabbed the book. Celeste instructed an irritated Kyoko on where in the book to look. Kyoko had honestly had enough of taking orders from this woman, but now wasn't the time to be defiant. The quicker she figured things out, the quicker she'd be done with this situation. Whether Celeste was actually guilty or not, she just wanted all of this to be over. 

She once again did what she was told and looked where Celeste told her. And when she did she found the same pictures that were sent to her via text except there was more.....One of the images she saw showed Junko with an uncomfortably wide smile posing next to the 'victim' flashing a peace sign. This sent chills down Kyoko's spine. She knew Junko was troublesome, but see her casually posing next to a murder victim was very unsettling. 

"So what does this prove? That Junko and Mukuro are murderers and you're an accomplice?" 

Celeste rolled her eyes at this. "Look closely at the first image. What about the victim's body do you notice." Kyoko sighed and began looking over the picture again. With every second that went by Kyoko grew more and more frustrated. She thought about just threatening Celeste to tell her, but then....She noticed something on the victim's hand....It was a tattoo, but not just any tattoo. It was a tattoo of a wolf, one that was used to represent Fenrir. In which Mukuro was a member of. "If I'm not mistaken, this is the exact same tattoo that Mukuro has on her hand..But how do I know it's the same picture you sent to me?"

"That is a good question. We expected someone like you to be able to spot something as blatant as that, so we altered the image a little bit. The image I sent you was cropped so that you would not notice her tattoo." Kyoko was still skeptical so she looked at the pictures side by side to compare them. The two images were exactly the same, so that meant Celeste had been telling the truth. And as she saw yesterday, Mukuro is still alive and well, so that means that this whole thing was staged...but why? 

Kyoko's face remained calm and stoic, but she could feel herself becoming angry. She was not only questioning her own detective skills, but also her entire existence. Everything had been fake and all of this was avoidable. The heartbreak, the stress, the humiliation....all of it had been avoidable if she had just been a better detective and not let her emotions get the best of her. 

"You know Taeko...I have every right to just leave you here handcuffed by yourself." She spoke bitterly. Why had she called her by her real name? Was it out of spite? Maybe. She didn't really know why nor did she care. All she knew what that this woman had played her like a fool. 

"What the hell did you just call me?!?" Celeste's accent had now fully vanished and her eyes were filled with rage. "You better be glad I'm handcuffed or else I'd have you investigating your own murder!" Kyoko wasn't scared of Celeste anymore, but she was thankful that she had put her in handcuffs, otherwise, she remained completely unfazed by the gambler's freakout. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?? Don't you dare leave me like this!" Kyoko continued to ignore the gambler's squawking as she exited the room..

Kyoko grabbed the key to the handcuffs off the table and returned to the room to see Celeste still standing there. She had finally stopped yelling, but Kyoko could still tell she was still mad by the scowl on her face. She didn't care though. All she cared about was leaving and getting back to her own home. And as bad as she wanted to just leave her there handcuffed by herself, she knew she couldn't. It would be immoral and detrimental to her career. She removed the key from her pocket and unlocked the handcuffs. 

"Thanks.." Celeste said, her voice still void of it's accent. She looked at Kyoko, who just stared back at her with her face still showing some semblance of anger and disappointment. Even when she was angry she still somehow managed to look calm. "I really wanted things between us to be different, but I can see that you had other things in mind..." 

"Kyoko wait, just let me explain. I was just trying to-"

"No" Kyoko firmly cut her off. "You've lied to me enough. There is nothing more to talk about...Goodbye Celeste." She said leaving the room again for good this time. Celeste didn't even bother chasing after her. She knew how stubborn Kyoko could be and that her efforts would be futile. Instead she was just forced to watch her disappear from her sight. 

Kyoko just remained silent as she made her way out the front door. She didn't even bother looking back at the other woman as she left. The feeling of being out of that awful situation was not as exhilarating as she thought it would be. She had wasted her time and made a complete fool out of herself. And worst of all....the woman that she had feelings for hadn't even cared about her in the slightest. Was this what her grandfather meant when he told her not to let her emotions get in the way of her being a detective? It didn't matter. She didn't care about detective work or even her current instigation. Right now she just wanted to go home and be alone in her own apartment. 


	10. Reflection

Alone again...had she let things go to far this time around? Maybe she could have a little nicer. Maybe she should have told her how she really felt...then maybe she'd still be here. It was no one's fault..except her own. The scene replayed in her head over and over again like a broken record and every time she closed her eyes, she could still see the hurt in those lilac eyes despite her best efforts to hide it with stoicism. 

Celeste was never the type of person to self loathe or wallow in her own misery, but she couldn't deny how she felt. It's only been a couple of days, but it felt like an eternity since she last talked to Kyoko. Despite, her best efforts to get into contact with the detective, her calls and texts would go unanswered. It's not like she didn't deserve it though. The one time she needed to be honest....she couldn't and it cost her big time. And for the first time in a long time, her lies had come back to bite her.

She was use to being in control, but right now she had no control over anything, not even her own feelings. One moment Kyoko had been there and the next moment, she was gone. And she had absolutely no control over it, but Celeste wasn't the type to pout over her loses. It was uncouth and unladylike to throw temper tantrums..especially over things that were out of her control. At least that was how Celeste felt. Taeko on the other hand....

She sat there concentrated as she thread the needle stitch by stitch, careful not rip the lacy delicate fabric as she went along the edges. She didn't know if she'd ever wear this dress or not, nor did she really care. The truth is....she didn't even like gambling, but how else was she suppose to make money? She'd hope that one day she'd conjure up enough confidence to kickstart her career as a fashion designer. But that would probably never happen. This was the lifestyle she had accepted for herself. She wouldn't dare disappoint her father by taking on a different career path. That's why she never pursued her dreams. The clothes that she made would just have to continue to be extra insurance for her. If she ever ran into any financial trouble, she'd sell the dresses she made at high prices to make more money.

But money wasn't the only reason for doing this. Often times when she found herself under some kind of stress, she would use sewing as a means to calm her nerves. It wouldn't solve all her problems at once, she knew that, but right now it didn't matter if it was only a temporary fix. She desperately wanted to take her mind off things. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't stop thinking about the lavender haired woman. She started to hum quietly to herself as she sewed, in attempt to drown out her own thoughts. Another poor attempt to maintain her composure. It wasn't working. Her mind continued to replay the events that led up to this point as images of the detective flashed through her mind like a movie. It was a never-ending cycle of her first coming into her life and everything that led up to her being alone.

Her once steady hands griping the fabric began to slightly tremble as she held out the dress in front of her. The composure that she had been desperately clinging to was now starting to slowly dissipate. It was happening again wasn't it? As bad as she wanted to keep things together, it was becoming more apparent that wouldn't be an option. Every so often the being known as Celestia Ludenberg would cease to exist, while the personality known as Taeko Yasuhiro would show itself. 

"Goddamnit!" She shouted throwing the dress she had just made on to the floor sending sewing supplies flying in every direction. She didn't understand what she was so angry about. Was she angry at herself? Or Kyoko for not talking to her? No...it would be unfair to be mad at Kyoko. She has every right to not wanna talk to her right now. This was becoming too much for her to deal with. Especially since she had a poker match to go to tonight. She wouldn't be able to focus properly if she was still thinking about Kyoko. "Perhaps I should just reschedule..I can not attend a match while in this state." Celeste hated how much of this was affecting her daily life. She couldn't eat, sleep, or do anything without thinking about _her_. 

Celeste sighed and began picking up the dress and gathering up the materials that had spilled on the floor. She decided she would just tell her opponent that she had fallen ill and wouldn't be able to make it tonight. The only thing she hated more than missing matches was losing and there was a possibility she'd lose if her mind was too focused on something else. 

Once she'd gathered all her materials, she began to organize them and put them back into their respectful places. "I suppose I should take a bath to soothe my mind." She paused when she felt something soft rubbing against her legs. When she looked down, her mouth curved upward into a small genuine smile as she continued putting away her materials. "At least I still have you. I'm sure you must be hungry by now." She said scooping him up off the floor and carrying him to the kitchen. She had always been thankful for her furry companion in situations like these. Although he couldn't talk, it still felt like she really had someone to listen to her when she vented. She filled up her cat's food bowl, before she left him to go take a bath.

She dressed in something other than her gothic lolita attire for once as she finished bathing. Wearing an over-sized hoodie with just her underwear, she felt a lot more relaxed. She wouldn't admit this to anyone, but spending the evening cuddled up with Cheri on the couch while watching movies was one of her favorite things to do when she was feeling stressed about something. She sat there gently stroking Cheri's soft fur when suddenly..she heard a loud abrasive knock at the door. It startled her at first and she'd wonder if she should answer or nor, but she heard the knock again. Feeling like it would be pointless to ignore them, she set Cheri on the couch next to her went to go answer the door. 

"You do know that there is a doorbell right? You do not have to knock so loudly." She sighed at the person standing in front of her. "I'm sorry miss, but is Celestia home?" 

"Very funny Junko." She said rolling her eyes. "No. Seriously! I'm just not use to seeing you without your costume." 

"It's not a costume!" Celeste shouted in anger. She hated nothing more than someone poking fun at her for her wardrobe. Most people would never say anything to her directly out of fear, but Junko was a different story. She was one of the few people that wasn't scared of Celeste, so she'd just say whatever. "Yeah, whatever princess. Ya gonna invite me in or what?" 

Celeste sighed. "What is it that you want?"

"I was just bored and wanted to talk." Junko said nonchalantly. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with Junko right now, but it wasn't like she was just gonna ask her leave. Her relationship with her and her older twin sister was probably the closet thing she had to an actual friendship. Besides, maybe she'd be able to talk about her feelings and everything that had happened. On rare occasions Junko could actually be a good person to talk to when she needed some advice. Confiding in Junko would probably be considered an all time low for most people, but Celeste was different. She and Junko had a special relationship that only the two of them understood. She let out another sigh and invited her in. 

Junko carelessly plopped herself down on Celeste's couch startling Cheri a little. "What did you want to talk about?" Celeste asked picking up Cheri and taking a seat next to her on the couch. "I should be asking you the same thing." "But, didn't you....Oh never mind. Is it really that obvious?" She knew there was no use in trying to hide anything from the fashionista. "Let's just say that I let my pride get in the way of what could have been my first meaningful relationship." Junko's eyes lit up at this. "Let me guess you're in love with that detective chick and your pride ruined any chance of relationship you had with her?"

Celeste practically cringed when Junko said this reminding her of how she treated her, but everything she said was true. "Love is a strong word.." She uttered. Kyoko had all but confessed her feelings for her. Even if she never really said it out loud, Celeste knew the detective had feelings for her, but her pride just wouldn't let her fall for someone like Kyoko.

"Ya know...it's okay to have feelings. Regardless of how superior you think you are, you're still a human being that's capable of feeling emotions. Heck, even I have feelings sometimes." Celeste knew that she was right. She had been made aware of her own feelings on more than one occasion, but this wasn't about her having feelings...it was about who she had feelings for... "Anyways..why don't you just apologize and tell her how you really feel?"

Celeste sighed. "If only it were that easy.....She has not been answering any of my calls or texts. So apologizing does not appear to be an option right now." She answered hanging her head in shame. "Damn....well that sucks. I'm sure she'll come around eventually. Or...I don't know..maybe she just hates you completely now."

"Thanks Junko.." 

"I don't get what see in her in the first place. Wasn't she just trying to throw your Gothic butt in the slammer not too long ago?" 

"While that is true....I can assure you that it was all just a misunderstanding."

"Well....if things don't work out between you and Nancy Drew, I could always introduce you to some of my model friends. I know a couple of ladies that might be quite fond of you." Junko said playfully winking at her. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Truthfully Celeste wasn't interested. All she wanted to do was talk to Kyoko and make things right. Even if the woman hadn't forgiven her and decided to cut her off for good, it would at least bring some type of closure to their 'relationship.' She'd just go back to her usual life of not having anyone...except her life would now be filled with regret. 

After Junko left, Celeste resumed her activity watching movies and cuddling with her cat, but unfortunately her thoughts were not at ease. What if Junko was right? What if Kyoko hated her and never spoke to her again? After all, it was very possible. Kyoko was visibly upset when she stormed out of her house a couple of days ago. She was no stranger to being alone...so why had it bothered her so much now? It's not like things would ever work out between them. It was a forbidden love situation. Kyoko's family would never accept her nor would her family accept her dating Kyoko. It would surely sully her family name. But that was just an excuse she gave herself to not be upset over her. With the exception of her father, she hadn't given a damn about what any of her family thought of her. But it was more than just about love....Of course love had a lot to do with it. She'd never go through such lengths for anybody else, but it was bigger than that..

There was no turning back at this point. She had already sullied her family name enough by wanting to protect this woman in the first place. Kyoko was no longer with her and she couldn't get in touch with her, so she had no way of ensuring her safety. It didn't take long for negative thoughts to cloud the gambler's mind. What if the reason she wasn't answering her phone was because they had already got to her? If they did, Celeste would only blame herself. Unfortunately, there was not much that she could do, except play the waiting game and hope that Kyoko was diligent enough to keep herself safe. But would dirtying her family name be worth it in the end? 


	11. Captured

These past few days had been tough for the detective. Her heart had been broken by only person she had ever had any sort of feelings for. She should have known better than to fall for her. She was known as the queen of liars and made her living off conning others. Of course she would never love and live honestly. Kyoko was nothing more than just a play thing for her. She had been ignoring calls and texts from Celeste. And although she felt bad for doing so, she knew that it would be best if she just stayed away from her from now on. The last thing she needed was more distractions from an investigation that was already going pretty shitty from her.

If things weren't already bad enough, she still hadn't made any progress with her current investigation. She even started to wonder if she should just give up on the case entirely. How could something as simple as investigating an illegal gambling ring turn her into such a mess? This was not like her at all. If her grandfather knew how she felt, he'd be so disappointed in her.

She rested her head on the pillow, finally getting time to relax after a long day of work. It made her feel a little bit better that she was alone now and didn't have to deal with people for a while. But her moment of relaxation didn't last long. She let out a small groan when her phone began ringing next to her. At first she thought that is was just Celeste trying to get in touch with her again and was just going to ignore her as usual, but this was a number she didn't recognize. She let out a sigh and reluctantly answered the phone.

"Yeah..?" She answered flatly, her voice full of exhaustion.

"Is this Kirigiri Kyoko?"

She was surprised to hear a male voice coming from the other end. His voice sounded very familiar, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

"Yes. May I ask who is speaking and why you felt it was appropriate to contact me at such a late hour?"

"My name is Reo, I am the owner of the large Casino in Osaka. I understand you are investigating an illegal gambling ring? I may be able to offer some assistance that will be of help to you." It was the casino owner she saw when she went to go investigate there a few days ago. He didn't sound as boisterous now as he was when she first saw him at the casino. Kyoko was still skeptical.

"How do I know if I can trust you?"

"Look, I know i might not seem like the most trustworthy guy, but if you help me, I'll be sure to pay you kindly for your services."

She thought back to when she first saw him and those men enter his office. She wanted to ask him about that, but she felt it would be best for her to just wait until she found out more about him. It could be another trick to lure her into danger, but right now she had no leads that could possibly bring her closer to solving the case. She reluctantly decided to trust him anyway. "I don't need your money. Just text me a good time for us to meet up."

Despite her doubts, Kyoko was cautiously optimistic about this. Maybe this would be the big breakthrough she was looking for and she'd finally be able to put this whole mess behind her. Of course, there was always a possibility that this could be a trap and it would lead her no where, but to a hospital bed or even worse.....an early grave. But that was just what came with being a detective. Kyoko was far from reckless, but she knew the risks that came with her career and she was well aware that it was highly possible she might meet her maker one day while she was on the job. Her grandfather had already made that clear to her during her training to become a detective.

She went to bed feeling more anxious than normal. It was times like this that made her wish that her emotions would just disappear. This should not be affecting her as much as it does, but with all that's happened with Celeste this past week, it left her both mentally and emotionally vulnerable. And she hated it. But now wasn't the time for self loathing. Spending too much time in an emotional state was never a good idea. Besides, it was time to be strong and put her emotions behind her for the sake of this investigation. 

* * *

There it was.....the casino Reo wanted to her to meet him at. They both agreed to meet there in the early hours of the day when there not many people around. She felt a wave of anxiousness wash over her. This is the place where she first met the woman she fell for.....the woman who broke her heart.....She let out a sigh and shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think about her. It would already be hard enough running off four hours of sleep. She didn't need another reason to not be focused on the issue at hand.

She stepped inside of the casino once again relieved that it was daytime, meaning that the casino was practically empty and that _she_ would not be there. She made her way over to where the owner's office was located, but before she could knock, the door opened slightly. Kyoko stepped back in confusion bracing herself for whatever was to come. 

The door slowly opened all the way to reveal Reo standing there in his usual red suit. "Good morning miss Kirigiri....It's good to finally meet you in person." He spoke smiling at her as he extended his hand towards her. Kyoko still didn't trust him. He was deceptive, but she expected that coming from someone who owned a large company such as this. "Look, let's just skip the formalities for now. I'm sure you already know why I'm here." She had not even bothered trying to return the gesture. She was not here to make friends....she was here to solve this case and put everything to rest.

"I see you like to get straight to business. I like that." He said winking at her. _"Gross."_ Kyoko thought to herself. "Not to rush, but can we just get on with this please?" It wasn't like she had anywhere else to go, but she'd rather not spend the rest of her Saturday morning in a casino chatting with it's shady owner. He let out a chuckle. "Okay okay. Please come in...take a seat and make yourself comfortable." He said gesturing her inside.

When Kyoko entered she couldn't help but notice the office reeked of cigar smoke and alcohol. _"Who drinks this early in the morning?"_ She had to keep herself from scowling at the unpleasant smell as she took her seat across from Reo's chair. "Can I get you anything? food? Beverages? " She narrowed her eyes at this. Why he was being so generous towards her? Especially considering how he seemed to be the complete opposite of someone who was giving. Maybe he was being genuine, but it was too early to tell. So, Kyoko wouldn't let her guard down.

"No. Just tell me....what information about the gambling ring do you have? And why have you decided to tell me all of a sudden?"

"Well you see....it's been kind of affecting my business. Those creeps have threatening my customers so much that some won't even come here and spend their money anymore." He answered taking the seat across from Kyoko. _"Of course he only cares about the money."_ She thought. But now wasn't the time for moral lectures. She began taking note of everything on her notepad.

"Have they threatened you as well?"

"Yeah. I thought that I'd be able to handle this on my own and I even tried have a civil conversation with them, but unfortunately things didn't go as well as I hoped they would. They told me if I got the cops involved, they'd kill me." 

Things were beginning to make sense to her now. From what she gathered, it was possible that those men she saw while investigating the casino were the ones behind the gambling ring. She'd need to get more information out of Reo, but it seems like this case was finally taking a turn in the right direction. 

"So you know who it is behind this whole thing?" She looked over at him and he seemed much more nervous than he was a few minutes ago. It was understandable. They had threatened to kill him. And as much as Kyoko didn't trust him, she didn't think he deserved to die. He nervously swallowed. "Y-yeah...I do."

"You might already be familiar with them. They've been terrorizing the citizens for quite some time now."

"Hm...I'll have to take a look at the database when I get back to my office, but for now...please continue." She hoped that this was the case. If the culprit was someone she had already dealt with before, then that would make this case a whole lot easier to solve.

"Right. There's multiple people behind this. They are all apart of-" He was suddenly cut off by a loud hissing noise that caused both of them to freeze in the moment. Kyoko had stopped writing to observe where the sound was coming from while Reo just stared at her in confusion. Her first guess was that Reo set her up for an attack, but when she looked over at him, he looked just as surprised as she was.

"W-what the hell is that!?" Kyoko didn't answer as she continued looking for wherever the noise was coming from. She began feeling light headed and her body felt considerably more heavy. It didn't take long for her to realize what was happening, but is already too late...the gas was starting to take affect. She involuntarily dropped to her knees as she desperately tried to fight through the effects, but it was no use. Her vision had now gone blurry. She looked over at Reo and he was unconscious meaning he had already succumbed to the effects of the gas. The last thing she saw before succumbing to the gas herself was a group of men at the entrance of the office walking towards her. Unfortunately, her vision was too blurry to make out exactly what they looked like, but it's not like it mattered at this point.

She was helpless...


	12. A Love Sick Queen and Her Sins

She was never the type to fall in love or get too attached to someone. So, why had she felt this way about a certain someone? That was a question that not even she could answer for herself. It's been a long time since she's actually lost a match. In fact, she can't even remember the last time she lost. But right now, she's in a space in her life where she had felt like she lost everything. She even went as far as trying to convince herself that it was nothing of significance, but that was just another useless lie of hers. 

It was hard trying to keep her composure, but she had no choice since she was in public. She stared down blankly at the liquid in front of her as she pondered how she would get over this. It certainly wouldn't help that she was currently sitting in the cafe where she and Kyoko had their first date. She felt like a loser sitting alone reminiscing about someone who had probably not even given her a second thought. Which brought up another question...Why had she cared so much about protecting her in the first place? Maybe Junko had a point....she shouldn't be harvesting feelings for someone who tried to throw her in jail at one point. But she couldn't help it.....no matter how hard she tried and no matter how much she lied...She couldn't deny her feelings any longer.

Celeste would stare down at her phone every so often, waiting for the detective to return her calls or texts. Unfortunately for her, the moment never came. And it was at this moment she realized that she had no other choice but to talk to _him._ Making commoners gamble their money away to her and sitting at home cuddled up with Cheri had not made her feel any better. Which meant she had no other choice, but to speak to her father about this. She quickly finished her tea and left the Cafe. 

She arrived at her destination holding a parasol in one hand and the black roses she bought moments ago in the other. She ignored her rapid heartbeat and feelings of shame as she slowly approached his gravestone. "It's been a while since we've last spoken hasn't it?" She said placing the flowers next to his gravestone. She didn't visit him very often, but it wasn't because she didn't want to. it was because she always felt ashamed of herself for not wanting to follow the legacy her father had set up for her and it brought along too many memories that made her cry. Even though she was really good at gambling, it wasn't something she held much interest in. Sure she had won an unspeakable amount of money from gambling, but it still wasn't enough to make her happy.

"I know that I have made a lot of mistakes with my life, but I do hope that you forgive me for those." She murmured, her voice slightly cracking. There was no possible way to tell if he'd forgiven her or not, but she hoped he understood why she made those mistakes. Especially the most recent one. She had all but dishonored her family by having an inappropriate relationship with Kyoko. She had basically been sleeping with the enemy. Literally and figuratively. And it was all in the name of love...Not only that, but she had also went out of her way to try and protect her as well. But what was she supposed to do? She was partially to blame for Kyoko being in danger in the first place. Even if it wasn't intentional on her part. 

Would it all be worth it in the end? She sure hoped so. "I'm sorry." She said wiping a single tear away from her face as she turned to leave. She felt bad, but her mind was already made up. She would choose love over her family, but a part of her wondered if Kyoko would do the same for her....Especially after what happened between the two of them. It was probably a terrible idea and she'd probably end up with her feeling hurt in the end, but taking risks was a part of who she was. It was what she was good at. She turned back towards her father's gravestone and flashed a genuine smile before turning to leave for good. 

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open as they tried to adjust to the darkness of the room. The first thing she did when her eyes finally adjusted was observe her surroundings. The room was a dull gray and it was almost equivalent to being inside of a prison cell. But she wasn't alone. To the right of her, Reo was still passed out from the gas. Had those men locked them up in some kind of secluded jail cell? It seemed like it. There was sunlight seeping through the small cracks on the wall, so she assumed it must be still day time...but how long were they out for? Then she then she noticed something else....the room was moving? And then it hit her. They were not inside of a jail cell. They were in the back of some kind of vehicle. Presumably in the back of a truck. 

Unfortunately, her movements were restricted due to her hands being tied behind her back. Luckily for her, she still had usage of her legs since they had not bound them together. Her detective instincts quickly kicked in and she shifted herself and began to kick at the door hoping that it was flimsy enough for her to force it open, but there was no use, her strength alone wasn't enough to get the door open. She let out a frustrated sigh and was ready to give up, but then...she thought of something.

"Reo." She called to him in an attempt to wake him up. She figured with their combined strength they'd be able to get the door open. But it seemed like her efforts in waking him were futile. She let out a sigh and began swiftly kicking and calling to him hoping that it would be enough to shake him awake.

"What the hell is your problem??" He finally spoke in a groggy voice as his eyes slowly opened.

"Now's not the time for questions. We've been kidnapped and I need you to help me get this door open." She said firmly. "You didn't have to kick me you know..."

"I'm sorry, but it was the only way you'd wake up." 

"W-Wait are we inside of moving vehicle!?" 

"I'm afraid so." 

"You're suggesting we jump out of a moving vehicle? Are you crazy!?" 

"So, you'd rather take your chances with those men? If I remember correctly, didn't you say they were planning on killing you if you got the police involved?" He seemed to ponder the thought for a second. They'd probably have a better chance at surviving this than whatever those men had planned for them. She couldn't imagine they'd let them live after all this. "Fine. Let's just get this over with." He said sitting up next to Kyoko. "Okay. on the count of three, kick the door as hard as you can." He nodded at her and braced himself for impact with the door. 

"1.....2......3" BANG!!

After a couple of hard kicks, both of the doors came swinging open. But something wasn't right.....They were no longer moving and there was no sunlight when they got the doors open. They appeared to be in some kind of a warehouse, but not just any warehouse. The building seemed like it hadn't been tended to in years and there were old moldy boxes stacked up all over the place. There was also a very damp smell throughout the room.

Kyoko's eyes widened in shock when she saw two of the men smiling devilishly at her and Reo. Acting on impulse, she immediately began to move back when one of the men started to approach her. When he got too close to her, she began kicking at him in an attempt to keep him at bay, but he only laughed at her efforts. "Woah there...looks like we got ourselves a feisty one." He said firmly gripping both her legs with ease. She desperately struggled to get out of his grasp, but it was no use as he was able to easily drag her to her feet. She nearly gagged on the toxic air that filled the space they were in. 

"P-Please don't kill me. I'll give you as much money as-"

"Shut up punk!" One the shouted delivering a harsh blow to Reo's stomach. Kyoko had barely managed to keep herself from flinching. She didn't care much for him or his selfish nature, but he didn't deserve this senseless violence against him. 

"We're gonna take you to our boss. He'll determine what's gonna happen to you guys." The other man said as he began roughly dragging Kyoko and following his partner out of the room. She scowled at his and wanted to fight back, but she'd seen what just happened to Reo and something told her that these guys weren't above being violent towards women. Right now, she would just have to cooperate. She thought that maybe she'd be able to talk herself out of this situation if she played her cards right. Kyoko was pretty confident in her ability to talk her way out of things and it would surely come in handy right about now.

They led them upstairs through a room that contained an arrangement of slot machines, tables, a bar, and a stage. It looked to be a dinning room, but there were no people present. One thing that stood out to her was the fact that it didn't look abandoned or poorly maintained like the warehouse. It looked like a place that had been frequently used. The atmosphere was completely different from the one they were just in a few moments ago. The air was clean and breathable unlike in the warehouse. If they weren't potentially being led to their deaths, this would be considered a very relaxing atmosphere. " _Where are we? Is this another casino?"_ Kyoko thought to herself as she looked around observing the room. 

Reo hadn't said anything the whole walk around there. Kyoko figured he must have learned his lesson from earlier....Much to her relief. The last thing she needed was him getting them into more trouble because he hadn't learned to keep his mouth shut. 

Once they'd passed through the dinning room, they arrived at what appeared to be an entrance to an even larger room. Both of the men pushed the double doors open to reveal a brightly lit room with slot machines lined up on both sides of the room. There were also a few poker tables and other games strewn throughout the room. Kyoko's suspicions were confirmed. They were inside of a casino. The place could be considered lively just like any other casino, but just like the dinning room....there were no people present. Well....there was one other person there.

A long red carpet leading from the entrance where they were standing led up to small set of stairs. And at the top of those stairs awaited a large heavyset man wearing a black suit similar to the ones her captors wore, except his looked more defined and expensive. He stared down at them, facial expression remaining the same as the two men approached him dragging Kyoko and Reo along. The top half his face was covered by his hat, but Kyoko could tell that his stare was cold, harsh, and lifeless.

"Hey boss, we caught these two rats plotting against us and trying to get in the way of our operations. What should we do with em?" One of the men said as they stopped directly in front of their boss. There were a few moments of silence after he said this. The heavyset man had not spoken a word, but a small sinister smile began to form across his face when he slightly turned his head in Kyoko's direction.

"Why...is that Kyoko Kirigiri? I've been waiting for this day for a while now." He laughed as he rose from his seat and began approaching them. She wouldn't show it, but she growing more and more worried as he slowly made his way down the steps towards her. She could tell from the look on look on his face that whatever he was planning on doing to her wouldn't be pleasant. She began to brace herself for whatever was to come, but he stopped a few feet in front of her.

"I will deal with you later." He said to her before turning his attention to Reo. 

"I'm pretty sure we discussed what would happen if you ratted us out." He said roughly grabbing Reo by his collar. The man that was holding on to Kyoko suddenly let go of her to join his partner and boss while they surrounded Reo. For a brief moment Kyoko was left to think of plan to get them out of this situation until she realized what they were about to do. The two men had grabbed him on either side by his arms while the boss stood in front of them. "Let me show you what we do to traitors."

"W-Wait! Please don't do-" He was silenced by another punch to his stomach as the heavyset man showed no mercy with his blows. For a heavier guy, he seemed to be in surprisingly in good shape and showed no signs of slowing down as he repeatedly dished out blows. It was a horrible sight and Kyoko could do nothing but watch in terror as he continued his attack. The two men holding on to Reo just sat there laughing through the whole thing.

This went on for a couple of minutes until he stopped. "Alright. I'm bored with this now." But the terror wasn't over yet as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a knife. 

"Stop!!" She wasn't sure what came over her, but she shouted loud enough for all three men to halt their actions and turn towards her. "You don't have to do this." She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to do or say, but she just wanted them to stop their attack on Reo. At this point she was just prolonging their eventual demise at the hands of these men. "Can we negotiate a deal?" 

The man raised his eyebrow as if he were actually interested in what she had to had to say. " _You_ want to negotiate something?...Pray tell." He began walking towards her with the knife still in his hand. The other two men had let go of Reo and let him drop to the floor. Kyoko's eyes shifted over to him lying on the floor for a brief moment. He was still alive, but remained in a dazed state. 

"If you let us go. I promise not to speak a word of this to the police." She said shifting her focus back to the three men in front of her. They were now surrounding her, so, she couldn't run even if she had planned to. All three of them suddenly burst into laughter upon hearing her proposal. _"Dammit. I should've known that wouldn't work."_

"My love. Do you honestly think that I would fall for such nonsense?" He said gently caressing her face causing her jerk her head back in disgust, but despite this he continue his action. Which only made her angrier. "Do you really think I'm that stupid?" She didn't know what came over her or what she was hoping to accomplish, but she opened her mouth and bit down as hard as she could on his hand. He groaned in pain and briefly recoiled away from her, but soon after, he moved towards her again this time with the knife pointed at her ready to stab her.

"You stupid fucking bi-" She shut her eyes tight and braced herself for the oncoming pain.....but it never came?

"Stop. That's enough." A voice rang out interrupting the man't actions. Kyoko slowly opened her eyes and watched as all three men looked around in confusion trying to figure out who the voice belonged to. Everyone including Kyoko had turned their attention towards the entrance of the casino.

"You..." One of the men spoke bitterly. 


	13. A Bittersweet Reunion

"What are you doing here?" The man spoke bitterly. He kept the knife pointed directly at Kyoko's throat, but now he was more focused on the figure standing in the entrance doorway. "I said that's enough. Put the knife down please." The person said more sternly.

"And why the hell should I listen to you?"

"Because I ordered you to. Now...if you want to avoid further punishment, I suggest you do as I say." 

He reluctantly pulled the knife away from Kyoko and dropped it on the ground, but she barely noticed as she was too busy staring at the person who appeared in the room. She was feeling so many emotions at the moment....She didn't know whether to be relieved, scared, or just down right angry at seeing Celeste standing at the entrance. There were so many questions that needed to be answered. Why had she shown up all of a sudden? How did she know where to find them? And How did she know these guys in the first place? She wanted to ask, but now didn't seem like an appropriate time to do so.

"Good. I am glad we have an understanding....now, let them-"

"Wait a second! Do you really think that just because you're the old boss's daughter that you can just come in here and order us around!?" He said shouting and stomping towards Celeste, who just stood there calmly staring at him. She had not even flinched or shown any signs of fear or nervousness, despite his aggressive approach. She just sat there staring with her usual poker face as if this whole situation were completely normal to her. "I suppose you are refusing my orders yes?" 

"I don't take orders from spoiled little brats like you."

Celeste let out a small sigh. "I was hoping it would not have to come to this.......would you be interested in joining me in a game of poker?" She said as a small smile made its way onto her face. Almost everyone with exception of the boss displayed the same look of shock on their faces as they stared at the gambler in confusion. _"Is she serious right now? How could she be thinking about games at a time like this?"_ Kyoko thought to herself. The only response coming from the heavyset man was a hearty laugh as everyone continued staring in confusion. 

"You expect me to believe you came all this way for a poker match?" He continued on through laughter. "Ah Ah. You didn't let me finish....We haven't discussed a deal yet." She said playfully causing the man to smirk. This seemed to peak his interest as he ceased his laughter. "Now you're talking."

"If I win, you have to release Kyoko and turn yourself in to the police." If Kyoko wasn't confused before, she was surely confused now upon hearing Celeste's offer. She was trying to save her.....but why?

"Are you crazy!?" One of the other men shouted from behind them. "You can't let her-" "Quiet!" The boss shouted before turning his attention back to Celeste. "That's risky....what happens if I win?" 

Celeste let out another sigh. "Not that it will happen, but if I lose, not only will you get to keep her.... but you get to keep me as well. I will let you and your...minions do whatever you want with me." Her smile had fallen and she said this with a straight face...which meant she was serious. _"What is she doing?"_ Kyoko didn't think it was possible, but she was even more confused than before. Not only was Celeste trying to save her, but she was also potentially risking her life to do so. After all she's put her through....Celeste claimed to hate her and everything she stood for. Yet.....here she was putting her life on the line for her. She didn't understand any of this.

"Heh? Why do you care about protecting that girl so much? and What about Reo?" 

"It is none of your business....as for him, I do not care what you do with him if I lose, but if I win, you will have to release him as well......Do you accept?" He didn't respond....instead he just stared intensively at her....He slowly lifted his hand reached out for a handshake. Celeste's poker face disappeared as a smirk made it's away across her face. "I should have known you would not be able to resist such a high stakes bet." 

She wrapped her small hand around his and they she shook on it. "Just so we are clear. If you lose and try to back out your part of the deal, you will only make things harder on yourself. Is that Understood?" 

"Huh? you threatening me or something? And just what are _you_ gonna do?"

"No need to expound. Just remember who my father is and we will leave it at that." She said clasping her hands together under her chin and smiling. 

"Whatever, let's just get this started already." He began walking over to one of the many poker tables with Celeste following close behind. She didn't look nervous or worried that she might lose, but there was a small part of her that was a little intimidated by the whole situation. But she'd have to push those feelings aside for right now....this was no time for her to be doubtful. Everything she's doing right now is for _her_.....Her eyes darted past her opponent to the cold hard stare of the detective's lilac eyes. She made eye contact with her for the first time since she got here and she could tell from the look on her face that she was still mad at her, but there was no way she'd leave her here to die. " _Will it be worth it?"_ She shook her head shifting her focus back to the opponent. _"Of course it will."_ She thought briefly glancing over at Kyoko and smiling to herself. 

"Let us begin shall we?" She said smiling, her voice full of confidence as she began shuffling the cards as everyone looked on anxiously. Once the cards were distributed, Celeste looked up and noticed him smiling mischievously at her. _"He has a good hand.."_ Naturally, she would think nothing of this, but he wasn't just some random fool challenging her. He use to gamble with her father, which meant he would probably be hard to beat...but it wasn't impossible. She looked down at her own cards. It wasn't a very good hand, but it wasn't a bad one either. Nevertheless, she'd make do with what she had. 

He placed his chips on the table in front of him, still staring at her, but she wasn't intimidated by this. Her face remained neutral as she placed her chips down to match his bet. He revealed his hand to her which contained four 3s and an 8. She revealed her own cards which were a two pair, 7s and 4s. _"Sigh."_

The man chuckled at this. "You sure you don't wanna give in yet? It's not too late to turn back ya know." Normally Celeste wouldn't be bothered by losing a simple round of poker, but this wasn't under normal circumstances and he wasn't just some commoner. Not only was her life on the line, but Kyoko's as well. "I'll tell you what....you quit now and we'll let you go for free and pretend like none of this ever happened. How's that sound?" He continued on teasing her, but she didn't say anything. Her only response was to put down more chips as she went back to shuffling the cards. 

"Gonna play it tough I see. Man...some people just don't know when to give up." He said smiling putting forth more chips. Celeste had to resist the strong urge to roll her eyes. _"How annoying...He still hasn't shut up..."_ Although she wasn't that nervous, she was still a little bit bothered by his overconfidence. She truly hated when her opponents talked too much or made too big of a deal out of winning one round.....but in the end, all this did was make her want to beat him even more. She dealt the cards and didn't even bother looking up to see his reaction this time. Instead, she just focused on her own hand. 

Celeste slowly revealed her hand which was four of a kind. She let out a chuckle when she noticed him gritting his teeth in anger. "Cocky little brat." Celeste heard him say under his breath. He was very good at gambling just like what she was, but unlike her, his poker face was awful. He had no way of controlling or hiding his emotions whenever he found himself in a losing position. "Did you say something dear? I didn't quite catch that." She teased. 

"SHUT UP!" He banged his fist on the table in anger. Celeste meanwhile, had not even flinched at the action. She'd already spent enough of her life gambling and opponents displaying explosive anger was nothing new to her. "Now, now....I did not shout at you like that when you beat me. So, I expect the same from you in return." 

"Just shut up already...Geez." He said shuffling the cards. The two of them played a couple more rounds with Celeste winning one and him winning the other.

"Well....it seems we have reached our limit. Remember, winner takes all." Celeste spoke confidently, despite the slight feeling of nervousness boiling up inside her. _"His freedom or mine..."_ It was a shame to admit this but she had been so caught up in trying to beat him that she had almost completely forgot about Kyoko being there. Of course...how could she forget the real reason she came here...

Celeste watched him closely as he shuffled cards, looking out for anything suspicious. This was the round that would decide everything. Would she be leaving with Kyoko or would she lose her freedom and be forced to watch the woman she'd fallen for be killed...Either way, now wasn't the time to be careless, she needed to stay focused just in case he decided to cheat. 

"Quite an intense stare you got there...You think I'll cheat? Are you really that scared of losing?" He laughed as he began dealing the cards. Once again, Celeste ignored his teasing to concentrate on the game. She continued staring at him intensely, twirling her hair around her finger. After a few seconds of looking at his hand, he began to grin at her in a very sinister fashion. Her heart dropped as she watched him slowly reveal his cards to her. It was almost as if time slowed down and the reality around her began to distort. He revealed a four of a kind, four 3s and an ace. "Are you even going to attempt to show your hand or will you just bow out like the spoiled brat you are?" He said through laughter. 

Despite being in a sticky situation, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of showing how scared she was. She'd played enough poker to know the chances of her beating that hand was low. Very low...but there was no turning back here. At the very least she hoped to tie with him. She sighed and calmly looked down at her hand.....And when she did....she had barely managed to contain herself. Her hand contained a royal flush, A, K, Q, J, and 10. In all her years of gambling, she had never been able to obtain this hand and now.....

She looked up from her cards smirking at the man sitting in front of her. "What are you-" He could do nothing, but sit and watch in shock as she slowly laid her cards out one by one. She had not taken her eyes off him the whole time as she did this, grinning devilishly at him.

"No fucking way! You cheated!" He began shouting at her. 

"Did I really now? If I am not mistaken, you are the one that shuffled the cards yes?" 

"Yeah, well.....*Sigh* You really are your father's daughter aren't you?" He slowly rose from his seat not taking his eyes off her. "Then I take it you are conceding defeat?" She also got up from her seat and began walking towards him. "I'm afraid so.."

"You accept the terms of our deal or do I have to seek out more forceful methods?" 

"No need....if anything, I'm a man of my word."

"Good." After shaking hands with him one last time, she shifted her attention towards Kyoko, who was still tied up the whole time. It was a bit awkward because the last time she had seen or spoken to Kyoko was when she stormed out of her house days ago. Celeste made her way over to where Kyoko was, but she didn't greet her or say anything. As bad as she wanted to kiss her and tell her how sorry she was for everything, now wasn't the time to do so. Kyoko was likely still upset and they still needed to sort things out here with the authorities. She let out a sigh and began untying Kyoko's hands.

"....Thanks." Kyoko said dryly as she made her way towards the entrance ignoring the stares of the men that had captured her. Celeste wanted to go after her, but just as she was about to she heard a low groaning noise coming from behind her. She turned around and looked down to see Reo still on the ground. She wanted to leave him to go after Kyoko, but he was apart of the deal she made with the boss. But then...Kyoko stopped in her tracks and turned around as if she forgot something.

She completely ignored Celeste and walked right over to Reo. "Are you alright? Do you need any medical attention?" She asked kneeling beside him. "I'm still in a little bit of pain, but I think I'll be fine. I just need some rest." His voice was still groggy, but he didn't seem like he was in too much of a bad shape...but Kyoko wasn't taking any chances. She pulled out her phone to call for back up and a medic. 

...

Moments later the police arrive with the medic for Reo...Meanwhile, Celeste was still waiting for the right opportunity to try and get through to Kyoko. She had still been ignoring her even after she basically saved her life. Under normal circumstances, Celeste would have been greatly offended by this, but right now...she couldn't be mad. It was her fault things were the way they were between them and she needed to fix that before she expected anything from Kyoko. She went to go stand next to her, but Kyoko didn't move away from her or anything....she just simply stood there, acting as if Celeste didn't exist. 

"How are you feeling?" Celeste asked awkwardly, trying to make conversation. "I'm fine, but I didn't need your help." She said harshly. 

"I beg to differ." 

"Whatever." Kyoko began to walk away, but was stopped by the gambler's surprisingly strong grip. She let out frustrated a sigh. "I'm trying to do my job. What do you want?" "Seems like they already have you covered." Celeste said pointing towards the officers that were occupied with rounding up the three men. "Anyways..I just wanted to talk and get some things off my chest.." Kyoko rolled her eyes and let out another sigh. As bad as she wanted to just walk away, she knew that it would be easier to just go along with things for now. "Fine. But after this...I want nothing to do with you anymore."

"Very well....I would prefer we went somewhere more.....private. Is that alright with you?"

"Whatever you say." Kyoko said nonchalantly as she walked away to go speak with some of the officers about what happened. Celeste smiled to herself knowing that she at least got the detective to agree to talk to her. Of course this was only the beginning of things. Actually opening up about her past and how she felt would be difficult. But she had no other choice if she wanted save what was left of their 'relationship.'


	14. Mending a Broken Heart

The investigation had finally come to an end and Kyoko couldn't be happier. She'd suffered more than anybody. This whole thing was way more stressful than it should have been, but that partially due to her own miscalculations. This was one of the few times she actually questioned her capabilities as a detective. At the very least it would be a learning experience for her and she would learn to not make the same mistakes in future cases. But unfortunately, this wasn't the end to all of her problems..

She was walking alongside the one person who had made her feel like what she thought was love for the first time. But it wasn't love at all....she didn't know what it was, but it wasn't love. Kyoko didn't understand why she felt this way...it wasn't like Celeste was the first person to take some kind of interest in her. Celeste had already treated her badly and showed her what kind of person she was. So, she didn't understand why she bothered giving her a second chance. The woman was a liar and a master manipulator. And she'd likely end up just lying to her and taking advantage of her again. 

After a long, silent, and awkward walk, the two of them finally reached a bench located in a secluded area at the park. It was later in the day, but the sun was still out. Celeste drummed her fingers against her knees trying to think of the best way to explain things to Kyoko, but the detective had no intentions on waiting for her to figure these things out. "I'm waiting.." Kyoko said firmly as she sat there staring at the gambler with her arms folded waiting on an explanation. Her facial expression remained neutral, but there was a hint of annoyance there...But despite this, Celeste continued to stay silent.

"I certainly didn't come here to sit in silence with you. If you're not going to say anything then I'll just-"

"Kyoko wait...." Celeste cut her off before she could say anything else. "I brought you here because I....I just wanted to apologize to you for everything. I really did not intend for things to turn out this way. I should have been honest with you about my feelings from the beginning." Kyoko was confused at this, but her face didn't show it. Instead her expression remained neutral as she waited for Celeste to go into further detail. 

"So, what you're implying is that you had feelings for me this whole time?" Kyoko wasted no time getting straight to the point. She knew exactly what Celeste meant by her statement, but she wanted to at least clarify it first. Celeste just nodded at her confirming what she thought. "I don't get....you treated me the way you did when you already knew how I felt about you from the beginning......so why couldn't you just be honest?"

Celeste sighed. "It is a lot more complicated than that my dear." 

"Well....I'd like you to explain as best as you can,"

"Very well....It all started with your grandfather and my father." Kyoko's eyes widened in shock at the mention of her grandfather. She wondered how Celeste knew about him and what connection he had to all of this. "Long story short, your grandfather was the reason my father ended up behind bars for illegal gambling. Ironic isn't it?" She let out a fake nervous chuckle. "But it doesn't end there. My father ended up dying in jail due to an unknown illness." Celeste looked completely calm telling her this, but Kyoko could tell that this was something that deeply affected her.

"Since my so-called mother decided to choose drugs over me...I ended up in an orphanage. And it made me really angry." She scoffed. "One day I had everything I could have asked for...the next day....I had nothing." Her facial expression remained neutral, but Kyoko could notice the slightest change in that iron mask of hers. She felt bad upon hearing this. Even though she was still upset with her, she didn't think that Celeste deserved to go through something like that.

"I still don't understand.....How did you know where to find me?"

"From my father of course." She said smiling sweetly. "While I do enjoy the money that comes from it... I actually hate gambling. I just never wanted to disappoint my father by not doing so. Why do you think I use a fake name? I had basically failed my father and my family, by choosing not to follow in his footsteps. I was too ashamed of myself and my actions to go by 'Taeko Yasuhiro.'"

"You see...I was supposed to hate you....I wanted to hate you.....but I just couldn't. No matter how hard I tried....I just couldn't....." She spoke bitterly. Her voice was filled with resentment as her accent became weaker. "I heard from the locals about them planning to kill you once they found out you were investigating the illegal gambling ring. I was not associated with those men outside of being my father's seed. But initially I didn't care about you potentially dying, but then I started to spend time with you and realized that I liked you more than what I was willing to admit. Which led me to trying my hardest to protect you."

Kyoko thought back to everything that happened during the time she spent with Celeste. A lot things were starting to make sense now. The random moments of affection...Them spending time with each other and sleeping together. Everything they did together felt so right and Kyoko could never understand why until now...

Kyoko could feel her heart practically beating out of her chest. She didn't know what to feel anymore. Just moments ago, she wanted nothing to do with Celeste anymore and now.....she wasn't sure if she still felt that way. 

"I...." Kyoko was left speechless for a brief moment. Celeste just revealed her true feelings to her and a lot of things had finally began to make sense to her. She wouldn't show it, but it was truly an overwhelming feeling. "Why didn't you tell me what you knew?" "Kyoko you are very stubborn and would not have listened to me and you would have gotten yourself killed."

"But I'm a detective. I'm risking my life every time I go out on the job."

"That is true, but you seemed to be quite outmatched this time around." Kyoko found this to be annoying, but she was right. If Celeste hadn't come along and saved her, she would most likely be dead right now. 

"Celes."

"Yes dear?"

"You're an idiot." Kyoko was still annoyed because of everything she had been put through, but she knew Celeste was right. She was never the type to just give up on something because someone said it was too dangerous. "I guess I do deserve that coming from you." Celeste said twirling a piece of hair around her finger. "Yes...Yes you do. But despite that...your heart was in the right place and I.....I really appreciate you saving me." She said trying to hide her blush. She hated how easily she gave in to her own feelings when it came to Celeste, but there was no point in dragging things on anymore. The both of them had already gone through enough at this point. 

"You know....it was kinda impressive seeing your talent up close." Kyoko spoke trying to lighten the mood. "I hardly consider that a talent my dear. Gambling is nothing more than mere luck."

"No...I mean it. I'd like play with you some day. Not to gamble of course...but to just test our skills." Celeste raised an eyebrow at this. She never thought someone like Kyoko would take an interest in those kind of games. "Some day? I thought you said you wanted nothing to do with me anymore?"

"I know. That was before I knew what I know now, but to be honest...I'm still kinda mad at you." Kyoko said folding arms, but Celeste knew that she wasn't completely serious. She smirked at this and moved in closer to the detective, whose face displayed a slight blush. "Hm? Well that is rather unfortunate I suppose....if only there were some way I could make it up to you.." She spoke softly, whispering into Kyoko's ear causing a shiver to travel up her spine. 

"If only...." Kyoko said as the gap between them grew smaller and their lips finally met. She hummed in delight at the pleasant taste of the gambler in her mouth. They had not shared many kisses with each other, but the few times they did, it always felt like the world around them disappeared and only they existed. It was a different feeling that neither of that had experienced before. Kyoko reluctantly pulled away from Celeste causing the gambler to look on in confusion. "....Not here." Her faced was fully flushed as she avoided the gambler's intense gaze. 

Celeste chuckled at this. Only she could make a normally stoic girl turn into such a mess. "Come now dear...where is your sense of adventure?" She teased gently caressing the side of her face with her finger. "We're all alone...where no one can see us.." She purred turning Kyoko's face back towards hers. Kyoko could feel her body begin to heat up. Normally she would never entertain the thought of doing something like this in public and would immediately shut it down, but for some reason she couldn't stop herself from leaning in for another kiss. 

This one was more passionate than the last one. Kyoko found herself unconsciously moaning as the gambler's hands roamed around her body. She couldn't believe she was doing this...but she had no real urge to stop. She loved and hated how much she craved her, but knowing that Celeste felt the same made her feel a little more reassured. 

"Geez...you two need to get a room." A familiar called out. Both Kyoko and Celeste quickly separated from each to see Junko standing in front of them with a wide grin on her face. But she wasn't alone. Standing slightly behind her was Mukuro, who looked a little bit uncomfortable and confused at the same time.

"What do you want Junko?" Celeste asked as she stood from the bench to straighten out her skirt. "I'm just here to see if everything went according to plan, but I see now that it clearly did..." She said ignoring Kyoko's hostile glare at her.

It was probably a good thing Junko showed up because they were about to do something that would be considered inappropriate to most people. But still....it was quite annoying how she ruined the mood. Kyoko was about to tell her to leave, but then she remembered... "I need to ask all you a question....And I want it answered honestly. You too Celeste." She said sternly.

The three women traded looks of confusion among each other. "Go ahead dear." Celeste said as she stared down at her.

"What was on that piece of paper you got from Junko last week?" As much as Kyoko hated to be reminded of that little incident...She would make Celeste pay for that later on, but for now...she needed to know what was going on. 

"That is what you are concerned about? I should have expected this from someone like you." Celeste said through a chuckle. "But to answer your question...it was just the deed to her house." Kyoko's eyes widened in shock at upon hearing this. And to top it all off, Celeste made it seem like it was a completely normal thing to do. She knew Celeste was a little bit strange at times, but this was a lot. She looked over to Junko for a confirmation.

"She's right. I lost the deed to my house in bet a few weeks ago." Junko shrugged. Her reaction was even worse than Celeste's. _"How can someone just casually admit that?"_

"....The both of you are crazy." She said staring up at Celeste and Junko. 

"As much as I hate to admit it...I agree." Mukuro said as she face palmed. She looked as if she were experiencing second hand embarrassment from her sister's action. "Eh. I'm not denying it." Junko said nonchalantly. 

"Your statement may be true Kyoko, but.....I don't see you complaining." Celeste said smirking at her causing her to blush. Putting up with Celeste's eccentric behavior would prove to be more than a challenge, but it would be necessary if they planned on being together. It was something that both scared her and excited her at the same time. Kyoko gave a smirk of her own. "You're right. But I would only put up with this type of craziness coming from you." 

"Ugh! Those two are giving each other the eyes again. Come on Mukuro. Let's go before they start making out again." She said in disgust was she walked away with Mukuro following close behind.

"Hm...perhaps we she leave as well. It is getting pretty late don't you think? " Kyoko smiled and nodded in agreement as she took Celeste's hand in hers.

"Celes wait.." The pair stopped in their tracks as Celeste stared at her waiting for her to reveal whatever was on her mind. Kyoko hesitated and bit down on her bottom out of nervousness. "I um......I know I want you and you want me, but I still think we need to work out a few minor things before we start officially going out." She noticed a hint of disappointment in Celeste's facial expression, but she didn't seem too upset. 

"I see....but I suppose you are right. Jumping into a relationship straight away seems rather.....careless. in that case would you be interested in joining me for dinner tomorrow evening? It's on me." 

"Of course. How could I resist? Now....let's get out of here before it gets too dark." 


	15. Let's Sin Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whew boy....this is a smutty chapter. This doesn't have much to do with the plot, but we get to witness dom Kyoko get back at Celeste. Sorry in advance. Hehe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW obviously.

Kyoko didn't really understand how things got to this point, but she didn't care. This whole thing had been one big roller coaster of emotions. There were some good memories to come from this, but there were others she wished she could keep buried in the depths of her mind forever. But that all meant nothing. Of course Celeste wasn't perfect...In fact, she was an incredibly flawed person, but it wasn't her fault. She didn't have any control over being born into her situation. Besides, Kyoko herself had her own flaws. So, she wasn't really considered perfect either. They were both aware of this fact, but neither of them really cared..

In the end, she got what she wanted and that's all that really mattered. A rather selfish mentality she thought. But after all she's been through...she deserved some kind of peace. And that peace came in the form of her lover, Celestia Ludenberg. Or rather, Taeko Yasuhiro....Kyoko had previously apologized for calling her by her real name in a fit of anger, but Celeste initially brushed her off. She insisted that she understood and even went as far as willingly letting her call her by said name. 

The pair walked the streets hand in hand just simply enjoying each other's presence. There were some curious stares from people who recognized and admired the gambler. But that was to be expected. Celeste was always regarded as some kind of cold heartless witch, whose favorite pass time was conning others. She was to many, but when it came to Kyoko....she was nothing more than a hopeless woman smitten with someone who was once considered an enemy. This would most likely damage her reputation, but that was a sacrifice she was willing to make. 

"Is there something wrong dear?" Celeste asked when she noticed Kyoko staring off into space. She gently squeezed Kyoko's hand tighter running her thumb across her knuckles. Due to the thick fabric of her leather gloves, she couldn't really feel much of her touch. She still hadn't mustered up the courage to reveal her scarred hands to the gambler. That would be something she would towards in the near future. Celeste had never really questioned her gloves or said anything about them. So, there was no pressure to do so now.

"No. I was just thinking....you know....about us." Celeste's expression fell at this. She knew Kyoko still had some doubts when it came to her. It would prove to be a challenge as their relationship continued to grow. But Celeste was fully prepared to deal with whatever Kyoko threw at her. It was a commitment she made when she decided to confess her feelings to her. 

"Don't worry. It's not anything bad. I was just thinking about how happy I am to be by your side...in a proper way." Kyoko smiled and gave her a small kiss on the cheek before resting her head on her shoulder. Celeste giggled at this. "Just what am I going to do with you?" She joked. Celeste may have laughed it off, but on the inside she was screaming at those words being spoken by her lover. No one had ever made her feel this way before. She was even surprised at herself at how easy it was for Kyoko to break through her walls. Yeah, it was kinda embarrassing, but she wasn't going to let that get in the way of her happiness. 

* * *

"My, my. You are being quite handsy tonight. Am I going to have to tie you down?" Celeste teased as Kyoko ran her hands over her body. "Really? You've been a tease this whole time...Can you blame me for wanting to touch you?" Kyoko wrapped her arms around Celeste and pulled her closer. Celeste just playfully rolled her eyes at the gesture. This was certainly a different side to the normally reserved detective, but the other woman offered no protest. Her only response was a small chuckle.

"Fine. I will allow it....just this once though." 

"I was hoping you'd say that." Kyoko wasted no time straddling her and pinning her arms above her head. Celeste was shocked at the amount of aggression coming from the detective. Kyoko was normally the flustered one and Celeste was usually the one in control. She had never had anyone assume authority over her like this. The tables had turned and...She kinda liked it..

"Is this too much?" Even though her eyes were burning with lust and desire, she still managed to show the upmost concern for gambler underneath her. But it was to be expected from someone like her. Despite her cold exterior, she was a gentle soul. "Not at all dear." Celeste said offering a reassuring smile. 

Soon after she felt Kyoko's lips being pressed into hers. She savored the taste as their tongues danced around in each other's mouths. Both of their bodies began to heat up as their kisses grew more passionate. Kyoko planted soft kisses along Celeste's jaw and continued on to her neck. She could feel the gambler shudder underneath her when she began licking and nipping at her neck. "Seems like you're overdressed for the occasion." Kyoko said smirking. 

"I could say the same about you my love....What do you plan to do about that?" Kyoko's only response was a sly grin as she began removing Celeste's clothes.....but she stopped when something caught her attention. 

"Polka dots?" She said trying to stifle a laugh. 

"Shut the hell up! D-Don't you dare degrade me in that manner!" Celeste spat back at the detective. She had a slight blush plastered across her face. Kyoko had to stop herself from laughing again. She thought it was kinda cute how mad she got over her laughing at her and wanted to tease her more about, but that would have to wait. Right now she had needs that needed to be taken care of and she didn't want to ruin the mood any further. 

"I'm sorry. I just didn't expect this from someone like you.....is it okay if I take them off?" She said through a chuckle. "I should not even allow you the privilege for laughing at me....but I suppose I could let it go this time at least." Kyoko smiled and gave her another peck on the lips. She reached around to unclasp the gambler's bra removing it and tossed it to the side. Their lips met again as Kyoko cuffed both of her breast firmly into her hands....they weren't that big, but they fit perfectly into her hands. It was good enough. They kissed roughly as Kyoko rolled her thumb over the hardened flesh eliciting a soft moan from the gambler. Celeste held on to Kyoko tight as they once again deepened their kiss. 

She suddenly rose up and withdrew her hands leaving the gambler confused. "Don't pout...I'm just making some adjustments." Kyoko said upon noticing the gambler's look of slight disappointment. She then grabbed Celeste's tie and playfully dangled it in front of her face. Celeste already knew what Kyoko was planning to do and just obediently laid there while she tied her hands to the bed.

"Oh my.....I certainly did not expect this from you...not that I am complaining of course."

"Good. Are you comfortable like this?" Celeste gave a silent nod as she stared up as Kyoko anxiously. Kyoko planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Now...it's time for some payback." And before she could say anything, she felt Kyoko's warm mouth around her nipple as she hummed in delight at the taste. Celeste lightly moaned and leaned into the sensation as Kyoko gently sucked on the hardened bud. She could feel the excitement began to build up between her legs and she wanted so badly to run her fingers through Kyoko's soft silky hair, but her bounds kept her from doing so. 

Celeste let out a sharp gasp as Kyoko roughly pinched the sensitive flesh between her thumb and index finger. She moved to wrap her lips around the aching bud causing the gambler to shudder underneath her. "Sensitive now..are we?" Kyoko asked playfully. Celeste rolled her eyes at this. "N-No. You just caught me off guard. T-That's all!" Her voice was shaky. Kyoko could tell she was trying desperately to keep her composure. "...But I do think it would be fair if you removed your clothes as well." Kyoko paused and seemed to think about it for a moment. She was sure Celeste was just using that as an excuse to stop herself from getting too excited early on. But she was right. It wouldn't be fair if only one of them was naked. She climbed off of Celeste and began to remove her clothing. 

Celeste watched as Kyoko stripped down...she was so beautiful. Her face....her body....the neatly trimmed patch of hair between her legs. Everything. Celeste just wanted to touch every part of her. But she knew that wouldn't possible considering her current position. Being tied up at the hands of the detective was a blessing and a curse. 

Once she was completely nude, she resumed her position on top of Celeste. "Now....you said you'd make it up to me and....I'm giving you a chance to show how sorry you really are." Kyoko said firmly. Celeste looked up at her in confusion. All Kyoko gave her in return was a mischievous grin. It didn't take long for her to catch on. And when she did, she could feel the heat rise to her cheeks...but she didn't offer any sort of protest. After all, it wouldn't be the worst punishment she received..... she watched as Kyoko crawled closer to her face. "If you do a good job...I might return the favor, but for now..."

Her lips soon came into contact with the warm slick feeling of Kyoko's wetness. She could already feel the fluids rolling down her chin, but she didn't let that stop her. She slowly dragged her tongue through Kyoko's slit causing her shudder and let out a moan. Her moans grew louder and louder as Celeste lapped up the wetness that had already accumulated there and wrapped her lips around Kyoko's clit. She licked at the sensitive nub with a steady rhythm occasionally using her lips to gently suck on it. "mmn..ah!....T-Taeko!" Tasting the detective's arousal and listening to her moans of pleasure only made her more excited. If it weren't for her hands being bound together, she would be shamelessly touching herself right now. She was sure her panties were pretty much ruined at this point, but she didn't care.

Kyoko ran her fingers through the gambler's hair as she gently rolled her hips against her mouth. She bit down hard on her bottom lip as she could feel her orgasm approaching. "O-Oh my god." She moaned out lightly gripping Celeste's hair. Celeste took this as a sign that she was close and picked her pace flicking her clit with her tongue. Soon enough, she had Kyoko squirming and moaning her name over and over again until she reached her climax. 

Kyoko stayed on top of Celeste panting as she tried to calm down from her high. Celeste gave soft comforting kisses to her thighs to help her relax. She rolled off of Celeste and laid next her. She leaned over to kiss her lapping up some of the fluids that had accumulated around her mouth and chin. Celeste let out a content sigh and licked her lips still tasting what was left of Kyoko's arousal. 

"You are not planning on leaving me here tied up are you?" 

"To be honest you kinda deserve it." Kyoko said flatly with a straight face. A small part of Celeste began to panic. Kyoko's neutral expression made it difficult to tell if she was serious or not. Just moments ago squirming in ecstasy and moaning the gambler's name. Now....she was completely calm like nothing happened. Her neutral expression soon turned into a triumphant grin. 

"You look sexy like that......And besides, I'm not finished with you yet." She said playfully climbing back on top of Celeste. Celeste was both relieved and worried at the same time. What did Kyoko have in store for her this time?

"You seem to really enjoy being in charge Kyoko. Maybe a little bit- Ah!" Her sentence was cut short by Kyoko rubbing her through her panties. She was slightly shocked at how wet Celeste had become. She could even feel it through her panties. "You know..I was just joking earlier, but I think you really might be sensitive Taeko." "D-Don't be ridiculous! It's just been a while...Y-Yes that's it. I just haven't been touched in a while." She was fumbling over her words and her accent was faltering. Celeste hated this, but Kyoko found it to be oddly adorable.

"Is that so? Seems like you enjoyed your punishment a little too much." 

"That's not- Ah-mm...fuck!" Kyoko slid her gloved fingers beneath the frilly elastic fabric and began slowly toying with her clit. She leaned down to kiss around the gambler's breast until she was able to wrap her lips around a nipple. She sucked letting her tongue twirl around the hardened bud as fingers moved faster. When she looked up at Celeste's face, she could tell that she was trying hard not to moan. This certainly won't do. 

Kyoko removed herself from the gambler's chest and re positioned herself so that she was siting between Celeste's legs. She slowly began removing the gambler's panties. She didn't even bother with her stockings and heels....she thought it was sexy. So, she kept those on. Once her panties were completely off, she began observing the slick wetness that awaited her. She grinned devilishly and looked up at Celeste. 

Kyoko had barely touched her and she was already dripping wet. Celeste turned her head away in embarrassment trying to avoid Kyoko's intense stare. " _~Taeko~_.....look at me." She teased. Her face was flushed as she bit down on her bottom lip. She was incredibly flustered and Kyoko was loving every bit of it. 

"What happened to the smug gambler from before? I wonder how all your fans would feel seeing you in such a state?" Celeste remained silent and still wouldn't look at her. But it didn't matter. Kyoko vowed that she would have Celeste screaming her name and begging for more before the night was over. She left soft kisses around her knees and thighs and placed both of her hands on Celeste's thighs to spread her wider. Without taking her eyes off her, Kyoko dipped her down and gave one soft lick to her folds. She could make out a faint gasp coming from the gambler as she did this. It was a start...but it still wasn't enough.

She dragged her tongue up and down at a steady pace causing the gambler to mutter something under her breath."What was that?" Celeste ignored her question. This caused Kyoko to stop what she was doing..."If you want me to continue....you better speak up." She said as she rested her tongue against her clit.

"F-Faster! I said Faster!....P-Please..." 

"Well....since you asked so nicely..." Kyoko smiled triumphantly dove back in...this time moving a bit faster eliciting small whimpers from the gambler. But Kyoko could tell she was still holding back. Without any hesitation, she drove tongue into the entrance and began exploring the inside of her with no limitations causing her to moan out loud. _"There it is."_ Kyoko thought. She rapidly licked at her clit before engulfing it and gently sucking on it. She moaned into Celeste as she sucked sending pleasurable vibrations through her body. 

"K-Kyoko...I'm gonna..mmmn..fuck!....yes! right there!" Celeste was already pent up. It had been far too long since she had any sort of release. At this point she didn't even care about holding back anymore. She just wanted Kyoko continue her movements. Her entire body shook with every stroke of the detective's tongue. She knew she was getting close. 

It didn't take long for her to start squirming and bucking her hips as her orgasm approached. She had reached her peak when Kyoko let out another satisfied moan into her. She came with a shout that reminded her of how grateful she was that no one else lived with her. A shiver made it's way through her body when she felt Kyoko lapping up what was left of her arousal. 

Kyoko crawled back up next to Celeste, who was still trying to calm down from her orgasm. "I suppose I should untie you now." 

"That would be lovely." Celeste said breathlessly. Once Kyoko had untied her, she wrapped her arms the detective's torso and pulled her closer in which Kyoko gladly reciprocated the action. The two of them laid in silence for a couple of minutes. But it wasn't the usual tense feeling that was present when they were alone with each other before. It was a more comforting silence....one might even say the two women felt safe in each other's arms. A week ago Kyoko would have thought that was crazy, but things were different now. There was no reason to feel unsafe around her anymore. Celeste risked her own life just to save hers and had shown her how much she truly cared for her. 

"This is our first time sleeping together as a couple." Celeste said out of nowhere. "Hmm....it is. It feels weird though." Celeste raised her head slightly to look at Kyoko. "Weird?" She asked with a hint of doubt in her voice. "I mean not in a bad way...." Kyoko said upon noticing Celeste's reaction. "....just compared to how things were between us when first met to now...it's just different, but in a good way of course." Celeste let out a content sigh and let herself relax once more. 

"Why did you make me wear a maid's uniform?" 

"Because you look good in it." Celeste said nonchalantly. "You are so troublesome." Kyoko said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Maybe so, but you and I both know that deep down you enjoyed dressing up for me." She whispered in a low seductive tone. Kyoko couldn't stop herself from blushing at this because she knew it was partially true. Despite how degrading it was. "You know...if you wanted me to wear a maid's outfit....you could have just asked." Celeste shrugged. "There is no fun in that. But you know....if you are lucky, one day you might get to see me in one." 

"I'd love that, but I have to say....the thought of that got me all worked up again...you up for another round?" Kyoko was blushing deeply when she asked this. She most certainly felt a little bit embarrassed. Normally she would never utter such words, but when she was with Celeste, she didn't feel quite like her usual self.

"You are so ridiculous....but how could anyone resist that face?" She teased and planted soft kisses on Kyoko's neck. Their lips met again....it didn't take long for giggles and other mischievous sounds to fill the room as they loved into the night. 


	16. A Small Price to Pay

She couldn't remember the last time she slept so peacefully. With the stress of the case and everything in between, it was near impossible for her to get proper rest. Honestly this was probably the best sleep she's gotten even before all of this mess started. Had Celeste really affected her that much? Probably not. It was likely she was just being dramatic, but she couldn't deny the fact she felt considerably more happy now that she was with Celeste. 

Unfortunately, Kyoko's peaceful slumber was interrupted by a loud vibrating noise coming from beside her. She initially just assumed it was her alarm, but when she looked at her phone it was 10:12 AM. She was slightly disappointed to see that she slept through her alarm that went off a little over an hour ago, but considering her and Celeste's mischievous "activities" last night, she wasn't the least bit surprised. But it wasn't her alarm going off, it was someone calling her.

Kyoko's eyes widened in shock when she realized it was her grandfather calling her. "Why would he be calling at this hour?" She quickly, but carefully untangled herself from Celeste's arms and sat up at the edge of the bed. At first, she thought about ignoring the call. Talking to her grandfather in her current predicament would be awkward. Yeah...it was only a phone call, but it was still embarrassing to say the least. But ignoring him probably wasn't the best idea either. So, she decided to answer. 

"Hello?"

"Good morning Kyoko. I hadn't had the chance to speak with you since you finished solving that case."

"It's fine sir. I understand you're busy." 

"Hm..yes I suppose you're right. For a moment I though you wouldn't be able to handle it."

Kyoko rolled her eyes at this. Nothing irritated her more than some one questioning her abilities as a detective. He wasn't entirely wrong though. This particular case did bring on a huge amount of stress, but that was mostly do to the circumstances. On the other hand...she did end up getting kidnapped and almost murdered by those men. But that was besides the point. She let out a sigh."It wasn't easy, but I was able to get the job done."

"I'm aware. But there is something else I need to talk to you about.....I can't help but notice you failed to arrest Celestia Ludenberg."

Her heart dropped at the mention of her girlfriend's name. It would be hard for her to just reveal that she was dating her, but she also didn't want to lie to her grandfather like that. "I uhm....I investigated her thoroughly and she didn't have anything to do with the case sir."

"I have to say I'm disappointed in you Kyoko. I didn't expect you to be swindled so easily by a con artist like her."

Kyoko's grip tightened around the phone. "She did nothing wrong sir." She wanted to remain respectful to her grandfather and she also didn't want to wake Celeste by raising her voice. So, she tried to stay as quiet as possible, but it was hard to do so with the way her emotions were stirring up inside her. She felt angry because he would not listen to her, but she was also sad because she would end up having to choose between keeping her career or being with Celeste. 

There was a brief pause on the other end. Kyoko was sure he could tell she was trying to suppress some kind of emotion by the way she spoke. "...And you're so sure? No matter...I'll just send someone else deal with her"

"Wait! you don't- ~Click!~" Before she could even protest or fully explain the situation, he hung up. "Dammit." She said gritting her teeth. She felt a small hint of regret as she sat there taking in everything. It was times like this where she wished her grandfather weren't so stubborn. But she was kind of like him some way. He had taught her everything she knew about being a detective. Without him, she wouldn't be who she was today. Would she really be willing to go against her grandfather for the sake of her love life?

She heard a small groan come from behind her as she felt the gambler's slender arms snake their way around her waist. "Good morning beautiful. I am happy to see you are up bright and early." Celeste said as she pressed her body against Kyoko's. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." Kyoko debated on whether or not she should tell Celeste about the conversation with grandfather. "Nonsense my dear. Sleeping through the day is rather unproductive. is it not?"

"You seem upset about something. Did you not get enough rest last night?" Kyoko chuckled and gave her weak smile. She can't stay here forever to protect her, so, she might as well be honest with her about the situation. It will help to prevent any further confusion if anything happens. She let out a small sigh. "So....my grandfather called.." Celeste raised an eyebrow at this. She knew her family's history with Fuhito and already expected some bad news. 

"He asked me why I haven't arrested you yet....And honestly I tried to tell him you were innocent, but he wouldn't listen and now he's planning to send someone else to do it."

"I see....That is....rather troublesome." Celeste was calm on the outside, but Kyoko could detect a hint of uncertainty in her voice. She knew that their family history would be the biggest hurdle for them when it came to their relationship. Celeste had basically already given up on her family legacy to be with Kyoko....but would she be willing to do the same? And that's when she decided...

"Taeko, you might not want to admit it, but I know you're scared. I'm not going to let them take you." Kyoko gently removed herself from Celeste's grasp and began gathering her clothes. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to speak with my grandfather in person and confess to him about our relationship." Celeste quickly grabbed Kyoko's arm to stop her from moving any further. She had to restrain herself from yelling a number of expletives at Kyoko. As much as she wanted to be with Kyoko, the last thing she wanted was for her to put her job or career on the line for her. 

"Kyoko you don't need to put your lively hood at risk for me.." Kyoko turned to Celeste and kissed her on the lips. "You know...I've always wanted you. I've wanted you since day one....And I'm not going to let some petty family tension get in the way of our relationship....I've already made my decision." She gave Celeste one last kiss on the forehead and resumed looking for her clothes. Celeste was honestly stunned by how dedicated she was to there relationship even though they had barely been dating. She let out a defeated sigh. "I swear I don't deserve you." 

"Shut up. You know that's not true.....now, I'm sure you won't mind me using your shower?"

"Hm...I suppose I wouldn't.....On one condition though...you let me join you."

"I was hoping you'd ask" She helped Celeste up off the bed and the two went to go shower together. 

After Kyoko and Celeste had their showers, they both dressed and prepared themselves for what was to come. Celeste insisted she go with Kyoko to go talk to her grandfather, but Kyoko denied her. She felt like it would be too risky for her to come along when they were already planning to arrest her. She knew Celeste was just concerned for her safety, but this was something she needed to do alone. 

"I hate to act like such a mom, but please try to avoid leaving the house unless it's absolutely necessary. And don't answer the door for anyone. Okay?" 

"Tch. How embarrassing...Being treated like a teenager by my own girlfriend..." Kyoko gave her a stern look. She didn't want to come off as too controlling, but this was the best decision for both of them. Kyoko's expression softened as she both of Celeste's hands into hers. "I'm sorry. I just want you to stay safe.....just promise me you'll stay put for the time being." Celeste sighed. She truly hated how charming Kyoko could be at times. She knew she wouldn't be able resist the look in those captivating eyes of hers. "Very well, but please.....do not make me have to come and rescue you again." 

"Thanks for understanding...I will call you when I get back." She kissed Celeste bye and went on her way. 

Once Kyoko arrived at her grandfather's detective agency, she noticed her heart pounding fast as she approached the building. Even though she was nervous, it was something that had to be done if she wanted things between her and Celeste to work out. Celeste had already risked her life to save hers...so, this was more than worth it. She took a deep breath and made her way inside.

"Good afternoon miss Kirigiri-" 

"Is my grandfather still here?" She didn't even let the receptionist finish with what she had to say. She hadn't intended to be rude, but right now she had more important matters to attend to. "Why yes. He's still in his office." Despite Kyoko's brash response, she seemed to be understanding as she gave Kyoko the information she was looking for. Kyoko nodded made here to her grandfather's office.

She took another deep breath before knocking on the door. "Come in." He said flatly. He didn't even seem surprised when Kyoko entered the room. It was almost as if he was expecting her. "Ah Kyoko....did you change your mind about what I asked you to do?"

"No sir, but I came here to talk you about why I didn't arrest Celestia Ludenberg." It felt weird calling her by that name. She hadn't called her by that name ever since Celeste said it was okay for her to call her by her real name. Of course she emphasized that she would only allow Kyoko to address her in that manner. 

"I should have known you wouldn't come all this way just to agree with me. Please.....take a seat." Kyoko didn't hesitate to do as she was told. Even if she didn't agree with him or his methods, he was still very much an authoritative figure in her life. She wouldn't dare disobey him. His eyes never left hers as she took the seat across from him. 

"Tell me.....why do you insist upon not arresting a criminal? I've never seen you so hesitant before.." Kyoko had barely managed to keep herself from flinching at Celeste being referred to as a criminal. But now isn't the time for emotions. "Because she's not a criminal...as I've stated before, I have investigated her thoroughly and could not link her to any crimes sir."

"I know what you said. Why do care so much about protecting her?" At that moment Kyoko's heart began pounding out of her chest. She was about to confess to her grandfather about her relationship with Celeste. 

"It's because.......I.......I love her." For a brief moment, his face displayed a look of shock, but he quickly regained his composure. Hearing those words being spoken by someone like Kyoko was enough to surprise even him. Despite how nervous she was, Kyoko's facial expression remained serious. This let her grandfather know that she wasn't testing him or playing some kind of a joke. 

"I knew I should have remained firm with you and not let you go out on your own....you are aware that she is a con woman right?"

"I don't think that's the case at all. If you want to fire me, that's fine, but I'm not ending my relationship with her."

There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them. The both of them were in some kind of shock. Kyoko had never spoken to her grandfather like that...She couldn't believe what she had just said and her grandfather couldn't believe what had just come out of her. Kyoko had basically just admitted that she was willing to throw away her job in order to stay with Celeste. 

He let out a disappointed sigh. "You know I won't be around forever. Which means you'll have to take over for me when I'm gone....I don't like it, but I do trust your judgement. So, I won't be firing you."

Kyoko couldn't even hide how shocked she was. She knew her grandfather was a stubborn man and expected this to be a lot more difficult than it was. "However.....I will be placing you on a two week suspension for having an inappropriate relationship with a suspect...You are dismissed." He spoke not even giving Kyoko a chance to protest. Kyoko wasn't a fan of this at all and wanted to speak up, but it was the best she could hope for after all she's done. Her grandfather was a strict man and could have done much worse than give her a suspension. 

"Thank you sir." She said rising from her seat and quickly exiting his office. 

It was unfortunate that she had been handed a suspension, but that was something she'd be able to come back from eventually. It was certainly a better option than getting fired or having to end her relationship with Celeste. 

* * *

When she got back to Celeste's house, she immediately called her. "I'm here now.....Can you let me in?"

"How do I know it is really you?" Kyoko rolled her eyes at this. "You really can't recognize my voice?"

"I suppose you are right, but how do I know that you will not arrest me?" 

"I'm going to do a lot more than arrest you if you don't let me in."

Kyoko heard Celeste giggle on the other end. "Very well." Soon after, the door swung open and she greeted Celeste with a warm smile. Celeste gave her a small kiss on the cheek and invited her in. Kyoko had almost completely forgot about what her grandfather told her earlier. She was always grateful for Celeste's playfulness. It always puts her in a good mood whenever she was feeling down.

Celeste made the two of them some tea and sat there as Kyoko told her about the discussion with her grandfather. Of course, Celeste wasn't too thrilled about Kyoko receiving a suspension, but the deed was already done. "So, you were really willing to sacrifice your job.....for us?" Celeste asked curiously. Kyoko nodded. "Of course...did you think I was lying when I said I wan't going to let our family tension get in the way of our relationship?" It's not that Celeste didn't believe her. It was just the fact that Kyoko was a very career oriented person and she didn't expect her to go to such lengths for their relationship.

"Kyoko I......" Kyoko stared expectantly at Celeste. She had abandoned her accent, which wasn't something she did very often unless she was emotional about something. Right now, she didn't seem angry, but Kyoko could tell she was feeling something. 

"Kyoko, I......I know it may be too early for this and I don't know if you feel the same, but......I love you." Celeste turned away from Kyoko as she spoke, still devoid of her usual accent. Kyoko had not seen her blush very often and right now she could see her flushed face on full display. "Is that all you wanted to tell me? And of course I feel the same way. Otherwise, I wouldn't be sitting here right now." Celeste turned to face Kyoko, who was staring back at her with a warm smile on her face.

She shifted herself so that she was sitting in Kyoko's lap. Kyoko herself seemed slightly surprised by her actions, but she smiled upon feeling Celeste wrap her arms around her neck. "You really mean that?" She asked innocently, her usual accent suddenly returning. Kyoko pulled her closer and placed a small kiss on her lips.

"Yes...I love you too Taeko." Celeste let out a content sigh and nuzzled her face into Kyoko's neck. "You have made me the happiest I have ever been. I did not think would be possible for someone to break down my walls, but clearly, I was wrong." Celeste spoke with a smile on her face.

"And believe me....I am more than grateful to be the source of that happiness.."


End file.
